My Life An Adventure
by ckil
Summary: I have friends to love. Public to please. Dark lords to fight. And 60-foot basilisks to kill. My name is Harry James Potter and I am the boy-who-lived. Yet again. This is my story as I begin a life of adventure with memories not my own. Post COS.
1. Chapter 1

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 01**

As I lay on the hospital bed, I think back to a time when life was simple. I had a room of my own, even if it was the cupboard under the stairs. I wore my cousin's overly large clothes. I did every chore my so-called relatives gave me. And I ate the scraps they left. As I said life was simple.

Now, I have friends to love. Professors to guide. Public to please. Stones to save. Dark lords to fight. And 60-foot basilisks to kill. My name is Harry James Potter and I am the boy-who-lived. Yet again. Life is not simple any more. I look to my left to see Ginny Weasley lying on the bed sleeping. I just saved her from being possessed by 16-year-old megalomaniac who wants to rule the world. But something I never expected happened. Hmmm… Yes, it was totally unexpected.

Just as I stabbed the diary with the basilisk fang, which was coated with my blood, Tom jumped right at me screaming bloody murder. Not literally of course. As the fang went through the diary like a hot knife through butter, Tom gave an anguished scream and his hand went through my head. Pain. Pain like I never felt before. And I screamed. Something inside my head was being ripped. I wanted to die in that moment. Through the hot tears pouring out of my eyes I see a black smoke pouring out of my head. I think through my scar. I can't be sure. The smoke surrounds Tom's hand and then both vanish with a bang as if blasted out of existence. I was conscious enough to see Fawkes, cry on the wound on my hand, neutralizing the Basilisk poison. And then I fainted. I know, not a very manly thing to do. But in my defense, I just got nearly 70 years worth of memories.

Yes, you heard me right. I got good old Volde's memories. All of them until the killing curse bounced back from my forehead. How do I know this? The first memory I dreamed of when I was unconscious was of the night he killed my parents. Yeah, sucks to be me. The first memory I have of my parents is them getting murdered by my hands. NO. Not my hands. Tom's hands. But you must understand, I saw them from his perspective. Not an easy thing to digest. It woke me up. As I opened my eyes with a groan, a vial of some foul liquid is dumped down my throat. Good thing too, my head was killing me. And then I conked out again. The next time I woke up, I looked around and found myself on a hospital bed. Fawkes must have brought me up here. Phoenixes are such wonderful creatures. I could hear people nearby. I didn't want to talk to anyone right then.

At that moment all I could think of is the memory of my parents and how they were murdered. I felt anger like I never felt before. I wanted to kill him for taking their lives. For every time I suffered at the Dursleys' hands. I hated him. And that got me thinking. I wondered what kind of childhood would make a man who would be willing to kill a baby. And then, I saw another memory. It was of a child being whipped with a stick, by a man who put Vernpig to shame. I was confused. Who is this kid I thought. And then came another memory of the same kid even younger, maybe around 6, being bullied by kids twice his age. I saw him talking to a tiny snake and hiding it in his sleeve as he saw the other kids approach him. They pushed him and punched him. And when they left him, the boy pulled the snake from his sleeve only to see it dead. It was crushed under his weight when he fell down. At that moment, I felt the hate he had for everyone around him. And that's when I realized who the kid was. Seeing those early memories of Voldemort, was an experience in humility. I thought I had a bad childhood, but nothing compared to what he had. I was never physically abused by my relatives for which I am thankful. Who knows how I would have turned out?

I lost some of my hate for him. Not enough to not kill him when the time comes. But enough to pity the child who only knew hate and nothing more. I sighed. The next few months will be very interesting. My head feels so full, so fuzzy with all those memories, which are not mine. I need a way to sort them out. That's when I got a memory of occlumency, the art of protecting one's mind from external influences like leglimency. But it has many other uses. Like being able to recollect at a much faster rate. Being able to control one's emotions. The process involves going through one's memories and sorting them out, securing them so that no one other than you can get to them. And just like that I gained the knowledge on how to practice the nearly forgotten art. For the first time since the Basilisk incident, I smiled. Then the smile changed to a scowl. Even though I have the knowledge, it doesn't mean I have the ability yet. I need to develop it from scratch. It's like you read about a spell, know the wand movements, but yet to practice. And it's not an easy task. It will take time and planning. I have to make a plan. Yes! I need a plan to move forward. There are still three weeks left before the term ends and I go back to my 'Family'.

* * *

I walk in the nearly empty hallway, deep in thought. The few students who see me, stop to stare at me. Nothing new there. Surprisingly it doesn't bother me anymore. It's been three days since I woke up on the hospital bed. Mrs. Weasley hugged me and thanked me profusely. That was the first hug I ever got and I enjoyed it. It again reminded me of my mother and the memory. I wanted to see it again and again. It's the only memory I have of them and I cherish it.

I reach the gargoyle, which protects the headmaster's office and give it the password. "Blood Lollies". As the gargoyle opens I smile at the headmaster's eccentricities. I climb up the revolving staircase. In the last two days I started organizing my memories. I started with my own since I knew them. Each aspect of my life has its own "folder". There is not much to sort out in my own personal life folder. It was easy. My friends and the people I know got their own folders. That includes candy loving headmasters and bent on world domination dark lords. In the same way each art, such as Transfiguration, has its own folder. In the last two days I finished sorting through my own memories. There is not much one can do when you are magically exhausted and restricted to the hospital bed. I reach the door to the office and am about to knock, when –

"Come in Harry".

Hmmm… I need to know how he does that. I open the door and step inside. I see Dumbledore, McGonagall and Lucius Malfoy in the room. Malfoy seems to be agitated as he is pacing. I'm sure I'll know why very soon. Dumbledore smiles at me congenially. I shuffle nervously while avoiding his eyes. The smile doesn't fool me anymore. Don't get me wrong. I know he's a good man who tries to do the best he can. But he's also a manipulative bastard who thinks that the good of many out weighs the good of few. When I was sorting my memories I analyzed his behavior during my first year and I came to a startling conclusion. He wanted me to face the challenges. He gave me the tools to do so, like the Invisibility cloak and the experience before the mirror of erised. The million gaellon question is, why? Why am I so important, other than the obvious boy-who-lived crap. And it all comes down to the question I asked him at the end of my first year. Why did Voldemort try to kill me? I need to find the answer to this and maybe it lies within one of Voldemort's many memories. But nothing popped up like with the previous few memories.

"Have a seat, Harry", says Dumbledore.

As I sit down, I spy a moment in the corner and see Dobby twisting his ears. Dumbledore follows my sight.

"That's Mr. Malfoy's house elf."

I nod to him, while my thoughts race around. It seems that Mr. Malfoy is not so innocent.

He sneers at me and then back at Dumbledore. "This is not over, Dumbledore. The board of governors will not stand for your arrogance". I always wondered where Draco got his sneer. Must be a family trait. I sense an underlying fear in his voice. Interesting.

Dumbledore answers with his ever-calm voice. "You must do as you see fit, Lucius. You have my answer in the report. The problem has been taken care of." Here he glances at me and smiles.

Lucius sneers again. "Very well. You shall hear from us." He throws one hateful glance at me and strides out kicking Dobby on the way.

"Sir, can I speak to Mr. Malfoy for a few minutes?" Dumbledore smiles and nods. I run outside and spy Mr. Malfoy at the end of the corridor. It's time to take the bull by the horns.

"Mr. Malfoy" I shout. He stops and looks back at me.

I reach him with puffing breaths. I need to get in shape.

He sneers again. It's getting old. He needs a different expression. "What do you want boy?"

It ticks me off. I never liked the word "boy". Too many bad memories of Vernpig. I put on my best poker face. "I'm looking for a house elf and was wondering if you would like to sell me yours".

He gets a calculating look in his eyes. "1000 gaellons and not a knut less."

I shrug. I can afford it. "That's fine with me."

He looks surprised, but nods. He conjures two parchments and writes up a simple contract which states that Lucius Draconis Malfoy is selling his house elf to one Harry James Potter for 1,000 gaellons which will be withdrawn from the 'Potter family vault' at Gringotts on presentation of this agreement. Hmmm… A family vault. Why was I never told of this before? I need to check this out over summer.

We both sign it which makes the parchments glow. As the glow fades I can feel a new bond within me. I glance at Dobby to see him staring at me in adoration.

"I'll owl Gringotts and let them know".

He nods imperiously at me and scowls at Dobby. He gets a nasty smile on his face. "Well Mr. Potter, it was nice doing business with you. Enjoy your new house elf."

I smile back at him. "I will".

He turns around and walks away haughtily.

He walks around the corner just in time for me to be knocked of my feet. I look down to see Dobby hugging me. "Master Harry Potter is the greatest wizard in the world. He freed poor Dobby".

I pat Dobby on his back and pull him up so that I can get back on my feet. At last he waited until the ponce was away.

"Now Dobby, I helped you because you deserve it. There are two options for you. One is I set you free." Dobby looks crestfallen as big fat tears wound up in his eyes. "Or you can work for me." And he smiles.

"Dobby wants to work for Master Harry Potter".

"Then my first command to you is, don't call me Master." Reminds me too much of Volde. Dobby nods his head slowly.

"My second command is never punish yourself". Here he looks up at me with that adoration again and nods. I roll my eyes.

"Good, now until the end of the term, can you stay in the school with me?"

"Yes, Harry Potter sir, Dobby will work in the kitchen with the other house elves." That was news to me. I didn't realize there were house elves here in Hogwarts. But then I guess Filch can't be cooking for us now, can he?

I nod to him and he vanishes with a snap of his fingers.

I walk back to Dumbledor's office to see him talking to McGonagall. As I enter the office, the transfiguration professor gets up to leave. She stops at the door in front of me. "Mr. Potter, please come by my office in the next 3 days to finalize your course list of next year."

I smile at her and nod my acceptance.

As she closes the door leaving Dumbledore and me alone I spy Fawkes staring at me. I smile at him remembering his service. "Thanks for saving me, Fawkes". He trills something like 'you are welcome' and starts preening himself.

As I take a seat, Dumbledore smiles at me. "Well Harry, here we are again at the end of another year."

I answer with a smile. "At the end of another adventure and another hospital trip."

"Yes, it does seem that you are becoming familiar with Madame Pomfrey. Now Harry, can you tell me what happened to cause this trip? Fawkes wouldn't take me to where ever you were before he brought you and Ms. Weasley to the Hospital ward. It seems the sorting hat was involved some how?"

And so I told him the story of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It was a fascinating tale and I had a good audience. I did leave some important things out like the memories I got from Tom. I don't want to risk his reaction, as I am sure he will be weary of me having such memories. At the end he asked me if I could get the diary and the sword back to him.

As I nodded and got up to get them, Fawkes flew over to shoulder. I look up at Dumbledore.

"It seems that Fawkes wants to see the chamber again". I shrug and the next moment I was covered with fire. It was not hot, but pleasant like a mother's touch.

As I open my eyes, I find myself in the Chamber of Secrets looking at the Basilisk again. Even in death it looks fearsome. I look around the chamber for the first time without fear. It is quite dark. I take out my wand to provide myself with some light. "Lumos". Something is wrong. So very wrong. I only get light with half the intensity I generally get. I try it out a few times including some cleaning charms. I get the same result. It seems my wand is not that compatible with me anymore. I stare at my wand in confusion. Is this because of what happened with the memories or with the basilisk bite? I hear Fawkes trill and nearly jump out of my skin. I forgot he was on my shoulder. He flies over to where the basilisk fang and the diary are and stares at me. I follow him to the spot and pick up the diary. He trills again and points to the fang. I stare at the fang and back at him. "You want me to take the fang?" He nods and then stares at my wand. Ahh… I think I know what he means. I stare at the phoenix in wonder. How much does this bird know? It seems that I have an appointment with Ollivander. I pick up the fang carefully and place it inside my pocket. Next I pick up the sword and see for the first time the name on it "Gryffindor". Wow, I wielded the sword of Gryffindor. Cool.

I pick up the diary as Fawkes gets back on my shoulder. As I get myself to be 'fire ported' Fawkes trills, which sounds more like a laugh. I stare at him with a raised eyebrow. He points to the sword I'm holding. "You can't port the sword?" He shakes his head. What do you know, even a Phoenix has its limitations. Or maybe he doesn't want to destroy the sword… So I walk to the entrance and hiss it to open and I go up the pipe holding on to Fawkes tail feathers. I hide the sword within my robes and walk up to the headmaster's office. He asks me what I think about the sword as he appreciates it. I ask him if I'm related to Gryffindor and he answers with his own cryptic answer that "Only a true Gryffindor can wield this sword". Another question to be answered. Maybe at Gringotts?

* * *

I sit in my train compartment looking out the window at the rolling hills. We already had the customary trip from Draco. I told him to go stuff his limp dick down a toilet. Not literally of course. We have ladies in here. I look inside to see Ron and Hermione arguing about something or the other as they always do. Ron is a little angry with me for not choosing divination. I decided to go for Arthimacy, Runes and Care for Magical creatures. With Voldemort's memories, the classes will be a walk in the park. I look to the girl sitting beside me, Ginny, who seems to have lost some of her shyness around me. She's not the same girl who put her elbow in a bowl of butter when I'm near her. We were both touched by an evil so intimately that it draws people together. I also notice for the first time that she is quite beautiful. She still has a little baby fat on her. But nothing which she wouldn't loose in a year or so. She opens her eyes and meets my stare. As we look into each other's eyes, something happens which I didn't expect. Not yet anyway. But then again, the coming year seems to be a year full surprises.

As we stare at each other I felt my mind connecting with hers. It was not something I could control and happened in blink of an eye. I just used leglimency on her without knowing it. But the biggest surprise was her reaction to it. I felt like I hit a wall. Her eyes widened in surprise to match mine and she pushed me out slowly. Well, what do you know, little Ginny Weasley is a Occlumens. It's quite an accomplishment for someone who just finished her first year. Did Tom Riddle's soul fragment leave something behind like Voldemort did to me?

That's right, folks, it was a soul fragment. Also called a Horcrux. A nasty piece of magic that one. To split a soul. But Volde went further than anyone in this field. He split his soul 6 times. In the past 3 weeks as I sorted his memories, I was surprised to find the reason for his supposed immortality. And was I surprised or what. But the best part is I know where they are and how they are protected. There are some nasty enchantments in there, some even Voldemort can't get through without a sacrifice. I don't think he would mind sacrificing one of his minions to get the horcrux if needed. Or put someone under the imperius for that matter. And that's the true power of Voldemort. The curses he uses are nothing special. Don't get me wrong. He is a very powerful wizard. Extremely so, only matched by a handful of others like Dumbledore. But most of the curses he uses only take a bit of power. With enough practice they can be used by anyone, except maybe parselmagic. But his true power comes from having no limitations. Where many hesitate he doesn't. He will torture a 1 year old with cruciatus if it means he gets something out of it. To fight him even with all his knowledge, will be an unenviable task. But it's a challenge and I think I will like this challenge. When the horcrux inside me was destroyed, I think I might have gotten some of his personality traits as well. Or it might be my Slytherin side waking up. The hat did say Slytherin would be a better choice. I feel more confident. I feel a bit mischievous and more than all have a craving for knowledge and adventure. To find something no one ever has. To see places no one has seen thousands of years. I want my life to be more interesting dammit.

I want to learn Magic and explore the world. Find the hidden places and learn the forgotten arts. Magic itself is neutral and depends on how it was used. Intention is the key. I need every advantage I can get. And if on the way, I find myself enjoying it, hey I won't complain. There is still much to know. I only had time to go through half of his memories.

As I immerse myself in these thoughts, Ginny gets up and steps out of the compartment. I give her half a minute and follow her out. As I step out I see her walk into a compartment. As she closes the door behind her, she sees me and pauses. She shuts the door softly. I walk to the compartment and knock on the door. Getting no response, I open it and look inside to see Ginny alone.

"Hello Ginny"

She responds with a slight smile. "Hello Harry".

I sit across from her. "So, Ginny… Occlumency for a first year is quite rare?" I ask her with mild curiosity.

She smirks at me. "Not as rare as a leglimency for a second year". I raise my eyebrow. I never saw this side of her before. Interesting.

"Indeed. Afraid people will know your secrets?"

"Just those who can't keep their curiosity to themselves." She cocks her head to the side with a soft smile playing on her lips. "You know Harry, curiosity killed the cat or so the saying goes".

My, was that a threat. "But I'm no cat, darling". I'm a bit surprised at my own daring.

She smirks at me. "You most certainly are not, Harry".

I reach to her, for the first time consciously, with a soft mental probe. Lets test how good she is, not that I'm an expert leglimens. But she still feels it and blocks it. She looses her smile weary of me. "Keep out of my mind, Harry. I don't appreciate the intrusion. This is the last time I'll tell you".

"And what If I don't listen?"

She scowls darkly at me and send a silent stunner. We are too close to raise a shield. I duck under the stunner and twist around to stand further away from her. She sends in a second stunner and I block it this time with a silent absolvo. A shield, which absorbs the magic and not reflect it like a protego. One of the few spells I practiced from Volde's memories. I stare at her through the shield. Seeing no other stunner on the way, I drop it. It was not good anyway. I really need to get my wand modified.

"Non verbal magic, Ginny?"

She raises her head and responds with the same intensity. "I can say the same for you, Harry".

"It seems we both have our secrets".

She doesn't respond, but gets up to walk out of the compartment. As she walks by me, I catch her hand and pull her to me. She is a few inches shorter than me. We have both grown a few inches this year.

I put a hand around her waist and draw her closer to me. She resists at first but then gives in. As our bodies hug each other I bring my lips close to hers. The tension is tingling all through our bodies. As I stare into her eyes, I tell her "I'm going to find your secrets" in a whisper. And in the same voice she responds back saying "Maybe Harry… But not before I know yours." I lean forward a bit and our lips are practically touching. The moment passes between us and she pulls back from my hold and I let go. She steps out of the compartment closing the door behind her. I collapse on the seat with a smile on my lips. That was interesting indeed.

* * *

I sit in back seat with Double chin D, as Vernpig drives the car back home to good old Privet drive. Oh! Have I got a surprise waiting for them. I laugh inside my head like a maniac. Not like the megalomaniac we all love to kill. But like an ordinary twelve going on thirteen-wizard maniac. This summer will be very entertaining. But as I look out the window, my thoughts go back to the few minutes I spent with Ginny alone in the compartment. I'm positive she got something from Tom. Did she get the same memories I did? Or were they limited to the first 16 years of Tom's life? I bet on the second. She didn't have a horcrux in the shape of lightning bolt in her forehead after all.

We reach the house and my three relatives get out without sparing a glance at me. I'm a freak to them.

I smile.

Oh! I can't wait for the next few minutes. I enter the house and go up my stairs. As I reach the landing Dudley tries to elbow me right on my ribs as he quite often did. I step out of the way and he loses his balance and falls down. I smile at him.

"Did little diddy dumpkins get hurt?" I put down my trunk and owl cage just as he gets up with his face twisted into a snarl. He throws a punch, which I sidestep again. I wound up my arm and conk him right on his nose. Blood spurts out and he falls down on his butt in shock. I calmly take my trunk and owl cage into my room. Oh this is getting funnier and funnier. I close the door and put down my stuff.

"Dobby".

And he pops in. "Harry Potter sir called".

I smile down at my new henchman. Hee hee hee. I'm an evil brat when I want to be.

"Stay here Dobby. You might need to protect me."

He stands up straight and crosses his hands. "Dobby will not let any harm come to Harry Potter Sir".

"I know Dobby". And just as I said that, I hear Dudley fatass wailing and footsteps coming up the stairs.

I wait with a baited breath. "BOY". And there it is. Vernpig bursts through the door… well like a pig out for its meal. As he enters the room he sees me relaxing on my bed. He steps toward me only to see Dobby standing in the way. Hmmm… I never knew he can do pale. I saw red and I swear I even saw violet. But never white. I think I like it better.

He stutters. "Wha… What is that thing?"

I get up from my bed and place a hand on Dobby's shoulder. "This uncle is my friend and employee, Dobby the house elf". Dobby's ears flutter in giddy happiness as I call him my friend. "He will be here to take care of me. I'll not do your chores and I don't need your food. I'll get my own. If you try to do anything to me, Dobby here will come after you with everything he's got. Is that clear?"

He kept staring at Dobby afraid to speak. I ask him again. "Is that clear?"

"You… You can't do your freak stuff here. Get him out."

I smirk at him. "Of course I won't, but he will. And Dobby will stay here. He will stay out of your way if you stay out of mine. Dobby please levitate my uncle out of my room." And my little henchman does the same. Vernon stumbles in the landing, probably due to lack of blood to his brain.

I put on my angry face and stare down at him. "Tell your wife and son to leave me alone as well." I slam the door on his face. I ask Dobby to put up a silencing charm around the room and then burst out laughing. I give Dobby a pat on the back and tell him he did great. I can hear Vernpig stumbling down the staircase like a drunkard and burst out laughing again. It's far less a punishment than they deserve. But I'm in a generous mood.

Dobby pops out to get me Dinner from the leaky cauldron. I gave him a bag a galleons for both our basic needs. I sober up, as I need to make plans for the next 10 weeks before term begins again. 10 weeks to start learning my way through the knowledge I possess but yet to earn.

In the next two weeks I need to sort out the rest of Volde's memories as I strengthen my rudimentary mental shields. Once that task is done, I'll have his knowledge, but not the skills. Next step is to get my wand modified so it will suit me better. Then, I need to practice my knowledge. But before that I need to modify the ministry's tracking wards. That won't be a simple task. I know for a fact, through Volde's memories of course, that they can't track magic through a wand. They track it by the location. They monitor each location where an underage wizard lives through wards. Similar wards exist in all muggle populated areas. I can't disable them, as that will notify the ministry. The trick is I need to classify myself as a magical creature rather than a wizard. The ministry doesn't care for house elf magic or any other creature magic, as they solely exist in the magical world. Or so they presume. I smirk remembering last summer. Dobby modified his magic to feel like wizard magic. Since I'm the only wizard living in privet drive, if not Surrey, I got the underage notice. That hyper little elf has more brains than my entire family. I laugh again thinking how cool this summer will be.


	2. Chapter 2

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 02**

I open my eyes as the sunlight filters into my room. I roll around in my 4-poster bed trying to get more sleep. I smile at the thought. My own 4-poster bed in my own room, which is double the size of Vernpig's master bedroom. I giggle at the memory of my uncle sputtering incoherently the first time he saw the room. My henchman, Dobby the house elf, was able to expand the room and tie it into the rune work I created from my memories. As long as the rune work stands, the room will remain in its size. A room expansion charm of this size requires very little energy and as such the power rune can absorb the needed energy from ambient sources without the need for charging.

It's been 10 days since I came back "home". I sorted through most of Volde's memories. The only ones remaining are those I don't want. I sorted through some of them last night and I saw some pretty horrible things. Mostly torturing muggles as he conducted raids during the first war. I decided not to sort them. Whatever knowledge I gain is not worth the price I have to pay. I need to destroy them. I don't know how. Maybe a pensieve will help? It remains to be seen.

But I gained knowledge. Lots of it. Tom Riddle even as a 16 year old knew enough about magic than most adults did in their lifetime. He made it his mission to know everything he can before he left Hogwarts. As a fourteen year old going into his fourth year, he knew enough to achieve O's in Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Potions, Runes, Arthimacy, Astrononomy, History & Magical creatures NEWTs. For some reason he was never interested in Herbiology. Must not possess a green thumb.

As a 15 year old he perfected the magic that are the unforgivables. He dabbled in ritual magic to gain more power and strength. After searching for it since his third year, he finally found the chamber of secrets during the final terms of his fifth year. It gave him access to the Basilisk, who he eventually used toward the end of his sixth year to kill Moaning Myrtle. But the most important find was a whole slew of literary work not seen by humanity in over thousand years, which he found in the Basilisk chamber. The collection of Salazar Slytherin. Through those books he learned high level Ritual magic including the creation of Horcruxes. He learned magic, which only a handful of wizards were ever able to practice. Parselmagic.

It was another branch of magic grossly miscategorized by today's wizards. Like any branch of magic, it can be used for both good and bad. The advantage of parselmagic is that only another parselmage can neutralize it. Someone hit with an equivalent of a stunner in parselmagic can only be enneverated using parselmagic or wait until the magic runs out of the system, which can take anywhere between a day to a few weeks depending on how powerful the stunner was. It is a boon to those who can wield it. But like anything in creation, it has its own disadvantages. It requires immense concentration and hence using it in a battle or duel is foolhardy. But if you happen to be a Slytherin and were able to sneek around your target, then that's a different story. But the true power of parselmagic comes through when used for warding, healing and rituals. There is even a ritual, which can cure a person driven to insanity.

Thinking about that reminds me of the many who ever driven to insanity using the cruciatus. Many through Volde's own wand. I wish I could help them now. But to be able to perform that ritual, I need to be proficient in practically every field of magic. Conjuration, healing, runes, arthimancy and parselmagic. It won't be for at least another few years. I hope.

Voldemort was a true genius. A homicidal psychopath, true. But a genius. As Ollivander said two years back, he did great things. Terrible… But great. During the summer after his fifth year, he found out that, he, as the last known heir of Slytherin can now access the family vault. As he stepped inside thinking of the riches, all he found was a family tree and nothing else. As he followed Salazar's name down the tree, he saw the name shift to 'Gaunt'. At the end of the tree he saw his mother's name. Merope Gaunt, who went on to marry Thomas Riddle, who was denoted by a white line to signify a muggle. Tom raged in terrible anger at the revelation. Calming himself he saw that there are only three members left alive in the tree. Himself. His muggle father. And finally an uncle on his mother's side. Morfin Gaunt.

From the public archives he found out where the Gaunts lived. He visited his insane uncle and found out about his rich muggle father and his family. He killed them all and modified Morfin's mind to think he murdered the Riddles. He used his father's death to create his first horcrux. His family ring which he took from his uncle. And thus lord Voldemort was born. He came back to Hogwarts with a new name, which he established among those who eventually became the first of his inner circle. He released the Basilisk at the end of his sixth year, which resulted in Myrtle's death, which he used to create his second horcrux. The diary. He wasn't able to release the Basilisk again after that incident. He however did go into the chamber one last time during his final year to gather all the books he wanted. He left a few behind which he already memorized. He was cunning as they came. Cunning enough to seduce a ghost to part with her dearest secret. The gray lady of Ravenclaw, Lady Rowena's daughter who stole the diadem from her mother. He took the secret from her and it became one of his Horcruxes.

After Hogwarts he worked for Borgin and Burkes. He used his job to develop contacts inside the traditional pure blood families. One of whom was Hepzibah Smith who he befriended. He stole Lady Helga Hufflepuff's cup and the Slytherin locket from her after poisoning her to death. And they became his final Horcruxs. At least known to him. But unknown to him, he also made me into one, which I must say I was very lucky to get rid off.

Analyzing what happened back in the chamber, I came to a conclusion. Because the basilisk fang was already immersed in my blood, it created a magical connection between Tom's diary and myself. Blood after all is a magically powerful substance. If he never touched my head, I don't think anything would have happened to the horcrux in my head. But because of the magical connection established by my blood and his contact with my scar, the two horcruxs became connected. But because of the way the horcrux in my head was tied with my own mental and magical essence, it was forced to breakdown into its core components. The soul, the mind and the magic. The mind and the magic, which were respectively linked to mine, remained and were fully released within me. But the soul never came close to being attached to mine because of my mother's sacrifice. It provided a barrier, which saved me in more ways than one. The soul escaped to join its counterpart and was destroyed. As I said. I was lucky.

I smile at the thought of my mother. Even when I knew nothing of my parents were, I always knew they loved me. Maybe it was my mother's protection. And I think that was a crucial difference between young Tom Riddle and Me. I knew I was loved even when the Dursleys hated me. But young Tom never knew his mother's love. All he grew up with was hate. I shudder at the thought of what I could have become. It's a humbling thought. I wonder if Dumbledore ever realized the near fatal mistake he made. Hmm… Enough of these morbid thoughts. I know Voldemort's secrets. I have all his magical knowledge. When he gets his body back, which for some reason I think isn't that far off, he will come after me. He will expect someone with a school education or maybe a decent Auror. But not someone who has knowledge of the darkest and foulest of magics.

After all the prophecy states that I have the power to vanquish the dark lord… Thinking back at that memory, I feel a surge of anger, much less in intensity than I felt the day I saw the memory for the first time. Snape. I wanted to kill him. He was the reason Voldemort went after my family. He was the reason I grew up with the Dursleys. But then I thought back to what would have happened if Voldemort never heard of the prophecy. The war would have gone on. And maybe he would have won. Maybe my parents would be dead and the world under his rule. He did know some of the most dangerous magics after all. Demons. I wonder why he never used them. Maybe he never felt the need. He was after all winning the war until he came across me.

I open my eyes and stretch around the bed. I get up and walk out of my room into the bathroom. Today is a big day. I'm a few days ahead of schedule. But it's never too soon. Today I'm going to get my wand modified. Then, I need to shop around for a few items essential for me to train and some… well earned creature comfort. But first a trip to Gringotts is in order. I need to find out about my family vault and how much I have to my name. Voldemort has huge resources at his command. And I'm not talking about the riches of his servants like the Malfoys. In between his years of making horcruxs and gathering followers he pillaged many ancient sites, stealing knowledge and gold. He has enough treasure hordes to buy every hired wand he would want. And I know where the treasure is. But unfortunately I can't get to it. It is protected by powerful blood wards, which only he can get through.

Damn it to hell.

But there was one thing he cared for nearly as much as world domination. It was the secret to Atlantis.

Yes, I know, I was surprised by the revelation it was real as well. He first came across it while looting an ancient Mayan temple. He scored the world looking for other clues. Some pointed him to Rome. Some said the island sunk some where within the Atlantic Ocean. He was still searching when he became incorporeal. Atlantis… The land of old magic. Where mages were able to control magic in its true essence, without wands or other crutches. A nation filled with enough gold to triple the modern world's gold reserves. Magical and muggle combined. I can see how it was tempting for him. After all, if there was one word to describe Volde, it was control. He wanted to control the world. The gold will help him. But if he can control magic without a stick and in its true form? The possibilities were endless. He would be unbeatable. Yes! Very tempting. My body tingles in anticipation on what kind of adventure that would be. To find Atlantis and know its secrets. I shake myself from daydreaming. I have been staring at the toilet for far too long. I'm sure the clue to Atlantis is not in it. I smirk as I see Dudley waddle toward the bathroom. He sees me and stops in his tracks. He pales and retreats to his room. I smirk at him and close the bathroom door. It's a new day, a new dawn and the world is ripe with magic and adventure. Time to begin the journey to be someone worth his parent's sacrifice.

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

I walk into the kitchen to see my relatives eating their breakfast. I already had mine up in my room. They see me, and stop chewing their food. Hmmm… It's good they fear me. Well, at least they fear Dobby. They tried to ambush me a couple of times that is until Dobby popped in and flipped them upside down.

I raise an eyebrow at their actions, when my uncle starts stuttering. "Boy… Harry… I just got a letter from Marge saying she's coming here".

Dammed. I don't need this shit now. "When?"

"In 3 weeks."

Today is the 5th of July… It might work.

"Tell her to come after the 31st. I'll be leaving here on my Birthday until next summer."

"Now look here boy…" As I scowl at him he changes his tone.

"Be reasonable Harry… I can't ask her to come after you are gone. What will I tell her?"

I sigh heavily and sit down on an empty chair. Sometimes they do test my patience. "Tell her that you need to go out of town on an urgent business trip." This gets my uncle thinking. He still remains hesitant.

"You don't want her to see Dobby do you?" And that does the trick.

I look around the table at my family. I wanted to say this for a while now. I meet my Aunt's eyes. "You know, even though you hate me for some bigoted reasons, you still took me in. You probably saved my life as well as yours. You know the guy who killed my parents? His name before he became what he is; was Tom Riddle. He grew up in an orphanage abused by muggles, that is the non magical people."

They glance outside the window to make sure no neighbors heard the dreaded M word. I roll my eyes at their antics.

"He grew up with hate and killed a lot of people." I look around the table. "Some would say I grew up with hate." This gets them shaking in their bones.

"But because my mother died for me, she gave me a protection. I always knew I was loved. This protection saved my life two times in as many years against Voldemort."

My aunt draws in a breath. "I… I thought he was dead."

I smile at her. "Unfortunately, no." I remember Hagrid's words before my first year. "He is out there, somewhere, plotting… Planning… To come back once again as terrible as ever before." At her shaken face I take pity on her. "Don't worry, as long as I stay here until my seventeenth birthday, you will share the blood protection my mom gave me. No one who means harm to my blood can enter this house."

Dudley who looks confused. It will be a small wonder if he isn't.

I get up from the table and pause. "Because you took me in, however reluctantly, I have a place where no one can touch me. So I feel somewhat obliged to help you. If there comes a time when you think my… freakisness can help, please feel free to ask. If I can, I will."

All three look surprised at me. Well there's nothing wrong in showing a little kindness even if it was undeserved. I will stay here for the next 25 days. I need to train in peace. If this keeps them of my back, so be it.

* * *

I step out of the knight bus and take a few moments to get my footing right. I put on a cap to cover my scar. No need to advertise myself to everyone. I step into the leaky and wave to Tom. He just waves me by. Like any other kid. Good.

I step into the alley to see it as busy as the last two years. I pass by Ollivanders and the Quality Quidditch on my way to see the Goblins. I spy the kids crowded outside the Quidditch shop. Hmmm… It seems that a new broom is out. I'll check it out later.

As I step into Gringotts I notice a line with just a few people and I join it. As my turn comes, I step up to the Goblin's desk. I wish Volde learned Gobbledegook, the language of the Goblins. He did learn several human languages like French & Latin, but never spared a moment to learn the language of different creatures. Maybe I should look into this.

The Goblin looks down at me with a sneer. Such pleasant creatures. "Yes, wizard what do you want?"

"Well goblin, I have 2 requests and 1 question." I answer in my pleasant neutral voice.

The goblin takes a moment to look down at me. He did lose some of his sneer. "And? What are they?"

"First request, I want to get some money out of my vault." I hand over my key to him. "The second request, I want to know what else I have to my name. I heard of a family vault…" He looks keenly at the key and then back at me. "Very well Mr. Potter. You said you had a question?"

I nod with a serious face. "Yes. How can I learn Gobbledegook?"

He looks surprised by the question and he frowns in suspicion. "And why may I ask do you want to learn our language?"

"Well, I don't have anything against the Goblins and if possible I want to learn to interact with your kind in your own language."

He stares at me for a few seconds, I guess assessing me.

"Rangtooth".

A nearby goblin approaches us and the teller goblin tells him something in Gobbledegook. The teller looks back at me. "Follow Rangtooth and he shall take you to Brimspear. He is your account manager Mr. Potter. State you requests and questions to him. He shall help you accordingly. Good day."

I nod to him. "Thanks."

I follow Rangtooth down a hallway with many doors. He stops at one. "Wait here wizard."

He walks inside and closes the door behind him. I wait outside looking around and wondering what I got myself into. The door opens and he beckons me in. I enter to see a decent office, very Spartan, with a single desk and a goblin behind it.

The door closes behind me and I step toward the goblin. He beckons me to sit. I follow his directions.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Potter?"

Sigh. "I was told you were the manager of my vault." He nods yes.

"Well, this is the first I heard of its existence and I want to know more about it. I also need to withdraw some money." He nods again and I guess is waiting to see if I need anything else.

"I also want to know if it's possible to learn Gobbledegook."

"Yes, I was told of this request from you. We do not hand over the knowledge of our language easily, wizard. Why should we do this for you?"

I sigh. "Look Brimspear, as I said, I don't have anything against your kind. I just want to learn it so I can communicate with you in it." I pause. "I was also thinking of curse breaking as a career…"

"I'll pass on your request Mr. Potter and I'll owl you the answer." As I nod to him, he pulls out a ledger like book from under his table. He opens the book and looks inside. He waves his hand and conjures two parchments. He hands the first over to me.

"This parchment is that of your trust vault." I look down at it and see 36,556 galleons and few sickles and knuts in it. Not too bad. "It was created by your parents on your birth to support you until you reach your sixteenth year."

He gives me the second parchment. "This is of your family vault. The only transaction it has since your parents death was of 1,000 galleons drawn into Malfoy family vault about 1 month back." It shows me 11,535,600 galleons. Not too bad. I'm not the richest wizard in the block, but I still don't have to work for a day even if I live to be 200. "You can access the vault but not the money until your sixteenth birthday."

I thank him and ask him the question bugging me since I knew I wielded the sword of Godric. "Tell me Brimspear, is it possible that I could have more vaults?"

He gives me a very toothy smile. "You could Mr. Potter. We can test your blood and magic for any unclaimed vaults. It will cost you 10,000 galleons." Greedy buggers.

Oh well, it's not much.

I nod to him. "Can this be drawn from the family vault?" He loses his smile and nods his green head. I guess he thought I wouldn't go for it. Think again. I want the truth of my family heritage.

He writes an agreement stating the nonrefundable fees and the service Gringotts is to provide. I sign the agreement. He puts it away and gives me a smooth black stone and a ritual knife.

"Please smear the stone entirely with your blood Mr. Potter".

I cut my hand and do as instructed. As I smear the blood on the stone, it starts to glow a deep red. Blood magic. But like nothing I have heard of before, that is including all of Volde's memories.

I also feel a slight pull on my magic as the stone glows brighter and suddenly it stops. I look at my hand to see it healed. I look up at Brimspear as he stands. "Please follow me Mr. Potter."

We leave the room and walk deep inside Gringotts to a large golden door. He opens a tiny door and beckons me. "Please put the stone in the slot Mr. Potter."

I release the stone, he closes the door and we step back. I wonder what's happening. "So what happens now?"

"This room is connected to all our unclaimed vaults, Mr. Potter. If your blood and magic is found compatible with any of them, it shall notify us."

"What happens to the stone?" I don't want my blood or magic to be floating around.

"It shall be destroyed after the ritual."

"So all vaults have blood magic wards?"

He looks impressed with my knowledge. "Only family vaults and in most cases they are very old vaults from old families."

I nod to him as the door glows and stops. I guess it's time to find out.

Brimspear opens the door and all I see is a quill. Not just any quill. If I'm right, it's a blood quill. He asks me to take the quill and follow him.

We reenter his office and take our seats. He gives me a silver parchment. "Your blood and magic have been matched to at least one vault Mr. Potter. If not, you wouldn't have a quill in your hand. The quill has been imbued with your magic and blood. Once you place the quill on the inheritance parchment, it will write down the family names of the vaults you will have access to."

I nod and place the quill on the silver parchment. I feel a little giddy on what I would find.

The quill glows red and writes by itself on the parchment. Then it bursts into flame and burns to ashes, which disappear. All that remains is the silver parchment. Well, lets see what I got for my 10,000 galleons.

I take the parchment and see three names on it. I look a bit disappointed. I didn't see the name I wanted. And I don't recognize any of these three names even with Volde's memories. I shrug and give the parchment to Brimspear.

He reads it and looks surprised. He looks back at me with a feral smile. He knows something I don't.

"You don't recognize these names, Mr. Potter?"

I shake my head. Why would I? "Can you explain Brimspear?"

"The first name – Irthor, was last operated about 500 years back." He opens the ledger and shifts through pages. When he finds what he wants, he waves his hand conjuring another parchment. He hands it to me. I look down at it to see 500,000 galleons and change. They must have been considered filthy rich back then. I wish Gringotts gave interest like muggle banks. Oh well!

I look up and nod for him to continue.

"The second name – Domitus, was last operated about 700 years back." He shifts through and ledger again and gives me another parchment. I see a partly amount of 30,000 galleons and change.

"The third name, Mr. Potter…", here he pauses and gives me another feral smile. I shift in my seat wondering what it's all about. "…Is the Peverell family vault, which was last operated over 2,500 years back." My eyes widen at that statement. It's not everyday you find out that you had family predating Christ.

I wait for the third parchment but do not get any. I stare at him with puzzlement. "We do not know what's in the vault Mr. Potter."

I nod to him. "Why is that they were not tied to my family name before? Didn't any of the Potters go through the ritual?"

"We do not keep those records Mr. Potter. I can only tell you that neither your father nor grandfather went through it."

"All right. Shall we go see the vaults?"

He nods. We leave his room and walk to the cart.

"We shall go from the nearest vault of the farthest". I nod my acceptance.

We reach my trust vault and I fill in a large bag full with gold. I need to exchange some to pounds later on.

We head to the Potter family vault. I put my hand on a podium, which draws blood and then the door opens. I see a lot of gold. I see a few books lined up at a wall and head toward them. There are books on wards mostly. A few on transfiguration and charms. I guess they are from my parents. I wonder why there are so many on wards. I pick a few. There is one ward, which is also referred to as a charm I want to learn dearly. The fidelius charm. Voldemort never learned it, as he never had a need. It involves trusting someone with the knowledge and access to something secret. And he trusts no one.

There are some interesting books I wouldn't mind reading, but I decided on taking none. I smirk. I have enough knowledge I need to go through for the next 2 years. And it's not like I will just be practicing what Volde knows… No, I plan on expanding on it, in a few tangents.

I look around and see a small box in a corner. I open it to see spectacles and a parchment. I read the parchment to identify them as warder glasses, which my ancestor Thomas Potter created. They will enable one to see magic if I touch the nose guard with my wand, like mage sight. Fantastic. Voldemort developed mage sight after years of practice. These glasses will provide me with a shortcut. I remove my plastic glasses and put on the stylish silver framed glasses. They adjust automatically to my eyesight. Even better. I put the old glasses inside my pocket. I will dispose of them later.

I walk out of the vault and we continue our journey in the cart. The next stop is Domitus vault. I identify myself through blood and magic. I enter through the vault to find the few galleons. But I also see a couple of trunks. I open the first to see it filled with silver goblets. Hmmm… Might be Goblin wrought. The next trunk has a beautifully carved box within it. I try to open it but it doesn't open. I'll deal with it later. I put it inside my backpack. I call Brimspear inside and show him the silverware. He confirms them to be goblin Wrought. I ask him how much I can get for them. He says maybe a couple of thousand galleons. I ask him to sell them and he agrees, even if reluctantly.

We move on to the Irthor vault. I repeat the same process. There is nothingbut galleons in it.

"Brimspear, do I have full access to this vault?"

He confirms.

"Please move the contents in my trust vault and Domitus vault into this vault. I also want an everlasting galleon bag tied into this vault. And I want to update the blood ward."

I dump the galleons I got from my trust vault and give the bag to Brimspear. He takes a single galleon and waves his hand over it and the bag. He asks me to put a drop of blood on it and I do the same. He drops the galleon inside the bag and gives it to me.

We walk out and we change the blood ward to only accept my blood and magic.

"Do you want your trust vault and Domitus vaults closed?"

"Yes please."

And we move on to the vault I want to see the most. The Peverell vault. It was a long way down and I see a few dragons on my way. I should tell Hagrid.

We reach the Peverell vault. There was a layer of dust on the platform, which Brimspear clears with a sweep of his hand.

There's no blood ward stone. So I approach the door and hit a ward. It passes through my occlumency shields like hot knife through butter. It's a compulsion ward so strong; I nearly drop to my knees. It wants me to place my hand on the curved handle, which I did. I could try and resist the compulsion, but it might not be worth the risk. I don't want to be blasted out of existence after all.

The handle glows softly and that's when I see that it was not a curved handle, but a snake shaped handle. The snake opens its curls around my hand and bites it. I hiss in pain. It takes a moment and finally loosens its hold on my hand. It stares into my eyes. "A descendent of Peverell who can speak Parsel. You have been judged. You may pass". With that the snake let go of my hand and became inanimate again.

The door clicked open and I entered the vault. The door closed behind me and a light issued from the ceiling. Wow! I most certainly wasn't disappointed.

The vault is slightly bigger than my trust vault. There were no galleons or sickles or knuts in it. One side of the vault is has a wooden shelf holding hundreds of scrolls written in a language I didn't understand. It was not parseltongue. I would know that. But what is it then? The other end of the vault is filled with gems and jewelry of all kinds. There are even some I never saw before. That means, gems, which even Volde didn't see. If I were to guess, they probably are worth a few hundred million. But I'm not greedy. I don't need that kind of money. Voldemort might want to rule the world. I just want to have some fun. Standing there, I couldn't think of what to do with them. I might have the memories of a 70 year old man, but I'm still only 13. Well… I will be in a few days. I wish I could read these damn scrolls. Maybe I will gain some insight into who the Peverells are and how they gained this wealth.

I decide to take one of everything in here. That is, one gem and one scroll. I take the gem I never saw before and take the first scroll on the top of the wooden shelf. If and when I identify the language I'll come back. I put the gem and the scroll carefully inside my backpack. I glance at the fantastic contents one last time and step toward the door. As it opens, the light shuts off and I walk outside to the waiting goblin.

Brimspear looks enquiringly at me and I smile cheekily at me. We get into the cart and journey back to the top. I exchange some galleons for pounds and I step outside.

I look at my nearly broken watch. I have been at the bank for 3 hours now and I feel the need for food. I enter the pub and order myself a nice lunch. After that I head toward Ollivanders. I pass the quidditch shop. I'll stop by after I get my wand fixed.

As I enter the dusty shop, I push on the nose guard on my spectacles to activate the mage sight. I stare at the walls in wonder. The wands lining up the wall are all highlighted in their own different colors. The colors shift continuously like a wave as they interact with the other magical presences as well as the heavy ambient magic present.

I turn off the mage sight as I hear footsteps approaching. Mr. Ollivander sees me and smiles his very eerie smile. "Mr. Potter. Holly and Phoenix. 11 inches. A strong wand that. Hope it's serving you well?"

"Well, sir, that right there is the problem. I'm not getting a good reaction anymore". And I swish the wand getting only a handful of sparks.

He stares at the wand for a good few seconds before he turns to me. "You are right, it doesn't suit you anymore. Tell me Mr. Potter, what changed in the last two years?"

Well, I can't really tell him about the horcrux and the memories, can I? So I tell him a half-truth. I tell him how just over a month back I fought this basilisk, which bit me and then Fawkes cried on the wound healing me. "And since then, my wand isn't responding to me."

He stares at me for a few moments. "Yes. Such an event can cause your magic to change. A basilisk…" He smiles at me as if Christmas came early. He slaps his hands and rubs them together. "Well Mr. Potter it seems that we need to find a new wand for you. It's not going to be easy. No. We tried nearly every combination I have when you bought your first wand. But now that your magic changed, maybe we will find something better…" He looks around his store, in thought.

I clear my throat. I don't get a response. "Mr. Ollivander". Nope. "MR. OLLIVANDER".

He turns to face me.

"I was hoping we could modify my existing wand."

He looks thoughtful. "Not something I do everyday. But yes, we can modify your wand."

I smile and carefully pullout a wooden box from my backpack. I put it on the table and open it to show Ollivander the basilisk fang.

"Is that what I think it is Mr. Potter."

"The fang of the basilisk, which bit me. It's the same fang which gave me this scar." I show him the long scar on my right forearm. I'm kind of proud about it. What 12 year old can boast about fighting a 60-foot basilisk with a sword and coming out on the top with just a scar.

"And what is that you want to do Mr. Potter."

I hesitate and for a good reason. I know the reaction I'll get from him. "I want to use both the fang and the phoenix feather as the core."

He stares at me with no expression. He ask me a question in a voice which isn't more than a whisper. "Do you know what you are asking Mr. Potter?"

In fact I do. There has never been, well at least in recent history, a wand with dual cores in it. And with two powerful animals such as a 1000 year old basilisk and an immortal creature such as a phoenix, it could be a cause for concern. Especially from creatures with opposing magics.

"I do sir. I understand it has never been done and I would suspect that in normal circumstances, a basilisk fang and a phoenix feather would not coexist. But I have the venom from the fang and the tears from the phoenix flowing in my blood even in negligible amounts. Using my blood as the base should theoretically stabilize the core and also add to its power."

"I see you have thought through this Mr. Potter. Though I wonder if you know what using your blood means…"

I smile at him. "I'll be blood binding my wand to myself." And when I do that, no summoning or disarming spell will work on me. As long as the wand is in my hand, no magic can take it from me. Voldemort did the same with his wand. He in fact learned the art of wand making from Gregorovich a Russian wand maker many many years back. It also has one further advantage. It cannot be used by any other. And with such advantages to the wand holder, the ministry of course hid this knowledge. It won't do if the Aurors can't disarm criminals.

Ollivander smiles back. "And are you proficient enough to do the rune work?"

I nod.

He walks to the door and puts up the closed sign. "Let's proceed to my work room."

I follow him into the room and place my wand as well as the basilisk fang on the table.

"We can't use your wand wood, Mr. Potter. We will use Holy, but we need a second wood for the second core… Hmmm… Yes, why not, Holy and Yew. What a combination it will make. And with your history…" He shakes his head as he walks out of the room. I must agree, Holy and Yew will be perfect. A perfect combination of balance like a basilisk and a phoenix.

I come out of my thoughts as Ollivander walks in with the two blocks of wood. One of Holy and one of Yew. He places them on the table and cuts them in equal lengths of, if I'm to guess 12 inches. Slightly longer than my previous wand.

He then carefully opens my current wand and extracts the phoenix feather and places it not too close to the fang. He gives me a large vial and a knife. For the second time that day, I cut open my right palm and the blood pours into the vial. After gathering sufficient blood, Ollivander heals the cut, not leaving even a trace behind. I take out a blood replenisher, which I asked Dobby to buy a few days back and empty it.

I need to be focused on the next part and I don't want to feel light headed. Ollivander pours a few drops of blood on each wood piece. As they absorb the blood, he crushes the basilisk fang into fine powder. He looks up at me and I meet his eyes.

"The next stage Mr. Potter is something I have never done. I hope for your sake it works. If not, then we will have to find you a different wand."

I agree. This would be the stage when we combine the blood, feather and powdered fang to create a unity between all three substances. He pulls out two lead bowls. Lead because it's a bad conductor for magical energies. We don't want external influences.

He splits the remaining blood between the two bowls. The powdered fang goes into one bowl and the phoenix feather into the other. I wait with baited breath. The powdered fang and my blood mix well to create a thick paste like substance. Whereas the feather absorbed my blood to become blood red.

Ollivander brings in a third lead bowl. He takes the two bowls and slowly tilts the contents into the third bowl. As the two contents come in contact with each other, they revolve around each other, hopefully trying to combine their properties.

I breathe in hard as I see the end result. A core so powerful, that I can feel its power from two feet away. I look up at Ollivander to see him staring at the core with wonder.

It's time for me to carve the runes on the two woods. All normal wands have only one set of runes within it. A core-binding rune set. A blood-bonded wand will have a second set, which will bond the wand to the blood. In some cases when the magic is not used as part of the ritual, the wand can be tied to a bloodline. But since I'll be carving the runes myself, I doubt my children can use this wand. We are also using two wood types. This means a third rune set. A wood-binding rune set. Not normally used, but has been done before.

I concentrate on carving all three rune sets as Ollivander observes me. I finish the last rune set and sigh in relief. That was tough. I have been practicing over the past few days. But it was still not easy.

"Very good Mr. Potter. Very good."

Now comes the last part of wand making. The combining of wood and core. Or in this case, woods and cores.

In most cases Ollivander will use his own magic to power the runes. But now I have to do that myself. Ollivander brings the core ever so carefully and places it within the two woods, with the runes facing each other. He gives me his enchanter's gloves, which are designed to draw out a person's magical energy and pour it into the connected surface. Really useful if you are interested in enchanting or even warding. Very costly to buy. But money I have. Hmm… Maybe I will learn to make my own.

I put on the gloves and I can feel them drawing on my magic. I hold on to the two woods as my magic charges the rune sets. I hold on to them until they are fully charged and then I let go. I remove the gloves, while I watch the woods melt into each other around the core. It takes a few minutes, before the wand glows one final time, expelling the unused energy. And I must say, it looks gorgeous. With Holy and Yew, black and white mixing together to form swirling waves, like black and fire ending at the tip of the wand. I can't wait to pick it up.

I look at Ollivander who smiles at me. "Go on Mr. Potter, I'm as eager as you are to see what this creation will feel like."

I smile and pick it up. Whoa! I can feel the wand humming to me. My magic swirls within me, wanting to be used. I swish the wand in a wide arc as I release my magic through my new wand. I want to laugh and cry at the same time. The magic didn't come out as sparks, but as lilies. Real ones. It was like my wand understood me. I love you mom.

I look back at Ollivander to see him smiling at my display. "A very powerful wand Mr. Potter. One of a kind. Maybe as powerful as the wand of destiny."

"Wand of destiny, sir?"

"Yes. A wand of legend and myth. Supposed to have been gifted to the eldest Peverell brother by death himself."

Did he say Peverell? Maybe I'll ask him later. I'm too exhausted magically and mentally to ask anything else. I might have his memories, but magically as I stand now, I'm no match for him. Even a lower class death eater can take me out. I need to develop my magic. It's like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it is.

I ask Ollivander how much I owe him.

"Nothing Mr. Potter. It was entirely my pleasure. But tell me, what do you plan on doing with the rest of basilisk?"

I leave the shop after promising him that I'll give him 3 of its fangs as a repayment during my next summer vacation. It's the least I can do. I look at my watch. It's nearly 5 in the evening. I think I'm done with my trip. All I want to do is go to my room and sleep. I wanted to buy some normal clothes that actually fit me. I guess I'll do it some other day.

I head toward the leaky to catch a trip to privet drive on the knight bus. Tomorrow, I'll modify the wards and start my training in earnest.


	3. Chapter 3

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 03**

I stand outside #4 with my invisibility cloak around me. I ask Dobby to be near by, as I will need his help later on. Through my new warder glasses I see a red dome surrounding the house. A blood magic ward as I expected. Surrounding it I see a multitude of other wards covering the entire privet drive. Most prominent are the anti apparition and anti portkey. Again expected. I also identify a magic detection ward. Hmmm… This is most certainly not a ministry ward. No. It is layered with other wards. This is going to take more precision than I thought. But first I need to take care of the ministry ward, as it will undoubtedly covers more area.

I follow Dumbledore's wards until they end at the intersection of Magnolia crescent and Privet drive. I take a few more steps and look around to see if I can find the ministry wards. Hmmm… I don't see any other magic. That can't be right… I slowly walk around the block trying to see any distortions. I'm mindful of the invisibility cloak. It won't do to have a muggle see human feet walking around with no body attached.

There! Way up above I see a slight distortion. I concentrate on it. Yes, I found the ministry detection ward. But how far does it go? Damn. I wish I can apparate. Even if I was well versed in it, I can't. So I follow the ward slowly, but steadily. Don't want to double back because I missed the damned thing somewhere.

* * *

My feet hurt. My body is covered in sweat. It's been 5 hours since I started my walk and here I am on a hot summer morning at 11 AM and I can see where the ward ends. I want to SCREAM at all the injustice in the world. The damn wards overlap. I step out of my ministry ward right into another. Well there is nothing to it. I take out my personalized ward stones. I smile feeling proud of them, especially the primary stone. I needed to do a little artimacy to get the rune placement right for this stone. I dare say these rune sets are way more complicated than wand making runes. I had to design runes to capture my magic as well as my wand signature and then communicate with the ministries ward stones to ignore these signatures just like they are programmed to ignore magical creatures.

The one magic I can do all I want is rune carving. There is no magic involved until they are powered. And unlike other kinds of magic, which depend on magical power, finesse and wand proves; runes, potions and arthimacy are some of the fields that are not limited with age or power.

I approach the ministry ward stone. There are the standard notice-me-not and disguising wards. I again thank my ancestor for these wonderful glasses. I hope the ministry didn't change the rune schemes since Voldemort learned about them. A quick glance confirms that they are the same. I set the 4 stones on the ground and whisper. "Dobby".

And I nearly jump out my skin as he whispers back close to my ear. "Yes, Harry Potter sir."

Sigh. I guess you need to take the bad with the good. "Dobby, do you see the ward flowing from this stone?"

He scrunches his eyes and a smile breaks on his face. "Dobby sees it Harry Potter sir."

"Good. I want you to follow this ward line and identify where the other 3 ward stones are."

"Yes, Harry Potter sir. Dobby will be back."

And the little bugger did it. Within 5 minutes he came back bearing a smile.

Right. Now for the stone placements. I measure a foot, which incidentally is my wand's length. I snicker at what some of the boys in school would say to that.

I mark the spot and ask Dobby to dig a 1-foot deep hole with a 5-inch diameter. Then at the very bottom of the hole comes a three-inch underground pathway leading to the ministry ward stone.

I tell Dobby that he needs to dig a similar hole and pathway at the other 3 sites when the time comes.

Now it's time to make ready the ward stones. I poke my hand with a needle and put a drop of my blood on all four of the stones. They all glow softly and the blood and hence my magical signature is absorbed within them. I put my wand to the primary stone and let my magic flow into it. There is very little magic passing into the ambience to track anything. So I should be safe from the ministry.

After I charge all the ward stones, I give Dobby the three secondary stones and ask him to put them in the other three locations and cover the holes. As long as I connect my ward stones with the ministry ward within an hour, they should be protected from any soil disruption.

He comes back within 15 minutes. Now all I need to do is connect the primary stone to the ministry ward stone. If my rune scheme works, the primary stone will help connect the other secondary stones by communicating with the ministry stones. Once all four are connected to the respective ministry stones, my magic should be undetectable within this ward in a matter of seconds. I have just one problem; I still need to connect the primary stone to the ministry ward stone. It's a decent amount of magic, maybe equivalent to a stunner. Technically I should be fine. I'm far from #4 and am standing outside my ward line.

"Dobby, as soon as I connect the stones, I want you to cover the hole and pop away."

He nods and I take the primary stone and hold my wand to it. I ask Dobby to levitate it down the hole making sure the connection between the stone and my wand is not broken. As soon as the stone touches the bottom, I drag the connection with my wand down the pathway to the ministry stone. It's a perfect connection. I can hear the ward stone buzz as it receives the energy from the ministry ward. "Now Dobby."

He quickly covers the hole and pops away. I make sure I'm well under my invisibility cloak and hide behind a tree about 50 meters away. I'm going to wait and see if anyone comes by to check. And sure enough, an auror apparates in. A tall athletic black bald wizard. I don't recognize him from Volde's memories. I was right. The ministry sensed the magic but couldn't pin point it. He looks around and even casts a _homenum revelio_.

Hmmm… Must be one of the more competent ones. But I'm a bit too far for the spell to work on me. He tests the ward stone and finding nothing wrong, apparates away.

I wipe the sweat from my forehead. Time to test my ward work. I cast a cooling charm on myself. I wait to see if the auror comes back again. After 30 minutes I give myself a congratulatory pat. That's right. I literally gave the ministry the finger. It's one of the few things I agree with Tom Riddle. Children growing in wizarding houses have a huge advantage over muggle raised. I summon the knight bus for my journey back to privet drive. I get down at magnolia crescent and walk toward Dumbledore's wards.

I rub my forehead to get rid of the slight headache. I curse Dumbledore. I need to outwit him. I smile at the prospect of a great challenge. If there is one thing I learned about Dumbledore through Volde's memories, it is that he is one crafty bastard.

I walk back to #4 to think about the problem. I can't use the same solution as I used for the ministry wards. There are two reasons for that. One, he hid the ward stones underground like me. It works perfectly for such a small area. And two, I don't want to dig them up. I am sure that he had some kind of detection ward for that as well.

As I reach #4 I look up at the red dome surrounding it. Hmmm… Maybe if I construct a ward within the blood ward? Or better yet, just my room? Hmmm… I might pull one over the candy-loving headmaster after all. Yes! I know what to do.

I'll create a vacuum. In warding it means, a ward, which prevents any kind magic from entering or leaving the warded area. This is typically used in constructing a ritual or dueling chambers within a house. The ward has its limitations. It is meant to cover only a small amount of space. And for a room as small as mine, even with its expansions, it will only take a small amount of power. I head inside for a well-deserved lunch and to do my next warding scheme.

* * *

I wake up realizing that I start my training today. I successfully fooled Dumbledore's wards late yesterday night. I carved the rune scheme to create a vacuum using some left over ward stones. I need to buy more. I went outside Dumbledore's wards after the Dursley's went to bed. I transfigured a stone into a wooden box with the same relative dimensions as my room.

I put 4 ward stones at the 4 corners of what would be the ceiling and another 4 at the 4 corners of what would be the floor. I used a sticking charm to cheat gravity. Then, with two power stones at the center of both the floor and the ceiling to charge the ward, the runic assembly was complete. I charged the power stones with as much magic as they can hold. I had to drink a pepper up to do it the second time. I connected the 4 ward stones on both the ceiling and the floor to their respective power stones. And then finally the 8 ward stones with each other to create a perfect cube.

I covered the assembly with my invisibility cloak and then levitated it back to my room. Since I entered the wards with the spell already casted, it shouldn't register within the wards. Dumbledore's ward unlike the ministry wards does not identify the spell being casted. All it tells him is that magic was performed under them.

Once inside my room, with Dobby's help, I placed all the 10 stones in their respective places within my room. First came the two power stones, which went to the center of the ceiling and the floor. Then came the ward stones, which went to their respective corners of the room, while still connected to each other and the power stones. And thus came into existence Harry Potter's own training room. I just need to charge the power stones once every 2 weeks. In a proper home, where the room doesn't need to be a secret, the ward stones are generally tied into main power source of all the wards in the house. It's time to get ready and get cracking.

* * *

I sit at my desk making a list of things I need to learn. I decided to cast all my magic non-verbally. Silent casting requires a lot of concentration and initially more power than when you vocalize the spell. Of course when learning a new spell, it is always easy to learn it through vocalizing rather than silent casting. But I need to develop my concentration and my magic. So even though it will take me longer to perfect each spell, it's better to start of with silent casting. My occlumency will help as well.

Tom Riddle as an 8 year old was stronger magically than I am right now. He has been casting wandless or will magic since when he was 6. Nothing big. Levitation, summoning and finally a mild pain curse. He was also a natural legilimens. He was so good at it that he was able to implant suggestions into his fellow orphans by the time he was 9. That is the second stage of mastering legilimency. And by the time he was 11 and got his Hogwarts' letter, he was able to possess animals and was well on his way to mastering the mind art by achieving the final stage. Being able to fully possess a wizard or a witch.

I guess you can imagine how good he is after nearly 60 years of using magic consciously. Don't get me wrong. He's no super villain. He still can't cast any battle worthy magic without a wand. The only offensive spells he can cast wandlessly are the stunner, disarming charm and a powerful banisher. I guess that's what got him really interested in Atlantis.

I myself am decent at the first stage of legilimency. To be able to read other's minds. I don't think I'll even aim for the final stage. But being able to implant suggestions might be very useful.

I have little over 3 weeks before my birthday, which is when I leave #4. I plan on spending a day in Diagon and also do some muggle shopping before then. So to be precise I have 23 days. I finish the list of all the things I want to perfect by the time I leave. When I say perfect I mean being able to caste the spell instantly and as effectively as possible without expending unneeded energy. At first glance it might seem a little too much. But the fact is I already have the knowledge and saw Volde use it. Which means if I have sufficient power, I can cast any spell Voldemort knows of. But they won't be perfect, as my body and magic have never used them before.

**Transfiguration**

Inanimate to inanimate

Inanimate material expansion

Inanimate to animate

Switching spells

Vanishing spells

Inanimate to organic

**Conjuring**

Avis

Oppugno

Serpensotia

Stone blocks

Ropes & chains

**Charms**

All minor level charms like summoning

Glamour

Disillusionment

Homenum Revelio

Oblivate

Patronus

**Offensive**

A few minor hexes and jinxes to play with when Malfoy comes around

Impendimeta

Incarcurus

Stunner

Disarming charm

Banisher

Reducto

Diffindo

Confrigo

Expulso

Confundo

Deprimo

**Defense**

Protego

Contego

Absolvo

Protego totalum

Cave inimicum

**Healing**

Ferula

Episkey

**Transportation**

Apparation

Portkey

The most difficult of all these spells is the Patronus. And I must say I'm very excited to learn it. Especially as Voldemort cannot cast it. He tried during his sixth year, in case he was caught with the basilisk and had to escape from the dementors. I can only guess… that splitting your soul does have some disadvantages. Not that he is scared of dementors. I don't think they affect him anymore after so many horcruxs.

I designed this list around the fact that I will be traveling by myself and in to unknown territories after the 31st. There are dangers out there, not just from death eaters, but from many other sources as well. I aim to protect myself and attack if needed. To win a fight against an average wizard, you don't need more than these. Except for a handful of spells, most of them can be performed by any witch or wizard with OWLs in DADA, Transfiguration and Charms.

I gathered a lot of discarded junk from around the house. I need these for transfiguration. The few things I'm missing, I ask Dobby to get them. I take out my wand and smile again at how my magic churns whenever I touch it. With a normal wand, you need to push your magic into it. But it seems that as soon as I touch my wand, it is connected to my magic. I love it.

* * *

My feet pound the street as I reach #4. I just finished my morning jog. 2 miles under the morning sun after some serious spell casting. It's been 2 weeks since I started working out, both my muscles and my magic. I finished going through transfiguration, conjuration, healing and offensive spells. I'm pretty happy with my performance.

I still crack up whenever I remember the incident with the lion. I transfigured a broken table into a lion and was petting it, when Dudley opened the door to my room. He stood still, shocked out of his life staring at the lion that was staring back at him. I made the lion lick its lips and take a step toward my tubby cousin with a growl. And Dudley Dinkins took off screaming like the devil was after him. Or it could be a lion. That was two days back.

I asked Dobby to find me a deserted place outside Dumbledore's wards but inside the ministry ward. I can't really cast offensive spells inside the house. I could blow up a wall or two. He told me of a place, which is around 2 miles from here near the Gatwick airport. I setup a muggle repelling ward around a 20 meter circle. I first practiced my conjuring skills by transfiguring air into ropes and chains. Then came the birds through _Avis_ and snakes through _Serpensotia_. I even talked to the snakes. I can ask them to do things for me if needed. Then I moved on to stones; brick, cement, granite and marble. I started with small stones and ended with slabs big enough to cover my height, which is around 5 feet 5 inches. I started taking a nutritional potion everyday since school ended. That combined with all the healthy serving of meals, gave my body what it needed and I'm now at a decent height for a soon to be 13 year old.

After conjuring the stones, instead of vanishing them, I use them for my offensive casting. When I first started doing this 2 weeks back, I could hardly do it for more than 10 minutes before I was exhausted. Now, I conjure for the first 15 minutes and in the next 15 minutes I blast them to kingdom high. Voldemort could have done this and more for hours and hours. I hope I don't have to fight him anytime soon.

After conjuring and blasting, I practice other offensive spells for the next 15 minutes. At this point I'll be sweating buckets. I relax and have Dobby get me some breakfast. After the breakfast I jog back to #4 and have a nice cool bath. I eat another snack for energy.

Then comes Transfiguration. On the first day I started with a single object and transfigured it into multiple items. Like a broken toy to a baby table, table to a mattress, an inanimate mattress to one with claws and fangs, and finally the biting mattress to a house cat. As I progressed further and further I was able to transfigure multiple objects at the same time. Now I can have 10 cats running in my room. The more complex the animal, the more power and concentration it will take. Especially with not verbalizing the spell. Maybe in a few months time I'll have 10 lions running around. That should be fun.

After transfiguration, I have my late lunch, which I eat with Dobby as he tells me his life story. Did you know he was over 100 years old? House elves normal life span is around 200 to 400 hundred years depending on the life they lead and how powerful their bonded master is. He tells me I was much more powerful than Draco, even before I started this rigorous casting. I'm nowhere in the same league as a 13-year-old Tom Riddle, but I dare say I'm probably more powerful than any 15 year old still currently in Hogwarts. I hope with enough practice I will be able to reach Tom's power as a 13 year old by this time next year. Looking back I thank god for gifting me with above average power to begin with. Or else, with the lack of food for the first 11 years of my life, I would have been a near squib.

After lunch, I generally practice speed casting. It's quite simply how fast I can release my magic through my wand repeatedly. I use a stinging hex against a wall for this. Two weeks back, I was able to cast around 15 hexes in 1 minute. Now, it has doubled to around 30. I want to take it up to 60. That's right, a spell each second. This will take me into chain casting. A continuous chain of different spells, molding their wand movements into one single chain. Into one single spell. Imagine if in one continuous wand movement you were able to send 6 different spells at your opponent. Deadly.

It's the precursor to professional dueling or for being a hit wizard. Or I guess to become a dark lord. Most people cannot do a chain with more than 3 spells and they have to vocalize them. Volde had his own spell chains with up to 5 deadly spells in it. And he never vocalized them.

It's the power and intention that matters anyway. The words are meant to act like a guide for those who are not in a position to concentrate. When you create a spell, you don't design the words, you design the wand movements. Why does one have to swish, flick, circle and so on? Why not just point and shoot?

It's because, when you move the wand, you are molding the magic within you into the ambience to follow your will, your intention. Given enough power and concentration, any spell can be casted with no wand moments. But in the process a lot of energy will be wasted. There are certain point and shoot spells which depend on a third factor other than power and intention. Emotion.

The three unforgivables are such spells. No wand moment is necessary. But you do need a good bit of power, a clear intention and the most important, emotion. To want to control, to torture and to kill, you need a good deal of emotion, which for the most is a negative emotion that is hate. Voldemort has a lot of that. That's why they are considered the unforgivables. Not because they cannot be stopped. All you need to do is summon or conjure a sold object in the path of the curse and you should be fine. I hope I never have to use them. Such hate can only lead to corruption.

But there is one other spell, which needs a lot of emotion. Another point and shoot spell. The patronus. But unlike the unforgivables you need positive emotions to make the spell work. In one of Volde's memories, I saw a duel between him and Dumbledore. And one sentence Dumbledore said stuck with me. He said, "Love is a powerful magic, which Volde will never understand". This makes me wonder if for patronus, instead of positive emotions, one can use love?

After speed casting for an hour, I walk around the park practicing my leglimency on unsuspecting passerby. I know, not a very ethical thing to do. That's why I use it only on strangers who I never met. That way I'm not using it to find out their secrets, but rather to practice my skills. After two hours, this starts giving me a headache. So I walk back to my room and relax for a few hours. Maybe carve some rune sets, which I find interesting.

Then, comes dinner, after which I practice my healing for an hour. I can do a decent field dressing and heal any cuts, which do not have magic in them. A typical cut from a spell like _diffindo_, will just cut the target. Any magical residue in the cut will dissipate after few seconds. I can heal such wounds easily with an _episkey_. But those wounds, which are caused by spells such as, say _larcero_, are very hard to heal as they leave a decent bit of magical residue behind. This prevents the wound from healing easily. It will need more specialized healing spells.

After healing, I work on arthimancy. Specifically on calculations for a permanent portkey to bring me, from wherever I am, to right outside Dumbledore's wards on privet drive. A regular onetime use portkey doesn't need any arthimancy or runes, just a clear picture of where you want to go and the respective coordinates. But a permanent portkey is something, which is on your body at all times and is charged with your magic.

I will cast the spell for it on the 30th right before my trip. That spell should take quite a bit out of me. I finish the day with 30 minutes of strengthening my occlumency shields before I sleep. And that's how I spent my first 2 weeks of training.

I enter #4 and head for a nice bath. Today is the 21st of July and I'm going back to Diagon alley and will also do some muggle shopping later on. I'm going to buy all the stuff I need for my vacation. After today I'll be concentrating mostly on charms, defense and transportation. I'll keep up with my conjuration, offensive and speed casting, as they will help strengthen my magic.

* * *

I enter Diagon alley with a ball cap covering my scar and walk in to Gringotts. I ask for Brimspear and was shown to his office. As I sit behind his desk I wonder why he's scowling at me.

"Brimspear, hope everything's well?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter. Now what can I do for you?"

"I need a pensieve. Do you know, where I can find one?"

He stares at me for a few minutes thinking. "I can find one for you Mr. Potter, but it won't be cheap."

I nod. "How much?"

"A pensieve can go anywhere between 20,000 to 50,000 galleons depending on its size. As for my service, I want the goblin wrought silver goblets you have."

"Fine with me. How long will it take?"

"They are very rare, Mr. Potter. It will take time. I'll try to find one before you are due at Hogwarts."

I curse Voldemort. I'm blocking those damned memories for now. I guess I have to keep doing that until I reach Hogwarts. I get up to leave. "Thank you. Find me a pensieve and those goblets are yours."

I step out of Gringotts and head to the Quality Quidditch shop. And there I see a wondrous site. A beautifully sculpted broom. A firebolt.

I walk around the crowd and recognize a few of my fellow Hogwartsians. I walk into the store and approach the clerk. He looks up and doesn't recognize me. Which is good. "Yes sir, how can I help you?"

"How much is the firebolt?"

"It's only on request, sir."

I scowl at him. "Well, I'm requesting."

He looks down at my clothes and I guess I can understand his hesitance. I really need to buy new clothes. I'm too old to be wearing Dudley's cast offs.

"Are you serious?" He asks me.

"Yes."

"Come inside then, I'll show you to the owner Mr. Spink. He will take your order."

I follow him inside to a private room, where I see a man sitting behind an elegant desk. The clerk whispers something in his ears and he looks at me with raised eyebrows clearly surprised. He nods and the clerk closes the door leaving the owner and me alone.

"So, you want to buy the firebolt? I'm not sure you understand kid. It's a professional broom and is priced as such."

"I can assure you sir, that I can most certainly afford it."

He pauses and looks at me intensely. I sigh in frustration and remove my cap showing him my scar. He inhales deeply. I guess there are a few advantages of being a celebrity.

"I'm sorry Mr. Potter. I didn't recognize you."

I smile at him. "Well, that was the purpose."

He smiles back. "We only have two in stock right now. One is up on display and the other right there." He points to a broom case standing against the wall.

Even the case is beautiful. "May I?"

He waves me to go ahead.

I walk to the case and pick it up. I bring it to the table and set it down softly. I open the case to see the elegant and beautiful broom up close. I caress it. The one thing I enjoyed more than anything else in the last couple of years was flying. With the wind blowing in your ear and your hair flying around your face, it sets you free. I want this broom. I really want it.

"How much is it?" I ask him.

Mr. Spink shuffles in his seat. "Er… It's 6,000 galleons."

I whistle in appreciation. That's pretty steep for a broom. The Nimbus 2000 if I remember right was only 700 galleons or so. But still I can afford it. So why not? I need to spoil myself more.

I look back at him. "Is there any place I can test it?"

He smiles and asks me to follow him. He takes me to a room, which is as big as the great hall back in school. "We use this room for testing out the brooms."

I nod and I pull the broom from its case. I can feel it buzzing in my hand. I put down the case, when "Let go of the broom, Mr. Potter."

I look at Mr. Spink in confusion. He smiles and again asks me to let go of the broom. I shrug and drop it. And was I surprised. The broom stayed in the air by itself.

"It's one of its many features Mr. Potter. Like the other brooms, it doesn't need the flyer's magic to stay afloat."

I took hold of the broom again and get on it. As soon as I kicked off, I whooped in joy. The acceleration is out of the world. 0 to 150 in 10 seconds indeed. I fly around for a few minutes testing its features. Twisting, turning, breaking and even a wronski feint. I land back near Mr. Spink who is looking all excited at me.

"You are a brilliant flyer, Mr. Potter. The broom is made for you."

I thank him and we move back to his office, where I pay for the broom. I don't want to be mobbed by the crowd outside. So I call Dobby and ask him to take the broom back to my room.

I buy myself a 3 compartment trunk with expanded space. I also buy a 3 room tent. It's comfortable enough. I walk out of the jewelry store where I bought a simple gold ring with space for a stone. I'll put the stone I took from the Peverell vault in the ring and make it into my permanent portkey. I haven't gotten my book list to shop for them yet. I'll come back before the term is set to begin. I leave the Diagon alley just as some Aurors walk in briskly. I finish my shopping with a new muggle wardrobe.

* * *

I keep glancing at my new broom. Oh! How I wish I could rip into the sky with that. I sigh heavily and go back to reading the letter, which Hermione sent. She is on a vacation with her family and is all excited about starting her third year with more classes. I put it down and pick up Ron's letter. As I open it, a paper falls into my lap. I pick it up to see that it's a 10-day-old news clipping from the daily prophet. It seems the Weasleys have won themselves a lottery and are going to Egypt on a holiday to visit Bill, the curse breaker. They are good people and they deserve it. I see Ginny smiling and hope she's doing all right. It will be an interesting year with her. I'll send my replies with Hedwig later.

It's been 9 days since my second trip to Diagon. I'm pretty proficient in my shields. I transfigured a wall into a mirror and practiced shielding against my own stunners. There were a couple of times when I was slow enough to raise a shield and found myself being enervated by Dobby. That happened only on the first day. After that, I could pretty much raise all three personal shields, _Protego, Contego_ and_ Absolvo_ with a single thought. Of the three personal shields Contego is the most powerful. There are of course many other personal shields. The most powerful personal shield commonly known is the _Imprimis Patrocinor_. It takes a good deal of power and can practically stop every curse other than unforgivables. I'll work on it during the year. Voldemort also created a couple of personal shields as powerful as the Imprimis. There are no incantations to them. Just the intention of protection and the wand movements to mould the energy. I also plan on developing my own.

_Protego Totalum_ and _Cave inimicum_ are wide area shields, meant to protect a larger area. They are not as powerful as personal shields. I was able to shield my entire room with both. It should cover my tent if in case I end up using it.

I have been practicing apparition during my afternoon walks. I asked Dobby to be near by in case I splinch. I am pretty good at both line of sight and memory apparitions. Long distance apparition using coordinates, will take more practice. But I should be able to do it soon. I already created a onetime use portkey from my training ground near the airport to just outside the wards on privet drive. The arthimancy and the rune work needed for the permanent portkey are finished as well. I'll carve the rune work on the gem and do the _portus_ spell today after lunch.

The highlight though is my patronus. I smile at the thought. It took a lot of practice and I still can't do it non-verbally. There is too much emotion involved. I practiced for 1 to 2 hours everyday for the past 7 days to get a corporeal patronus. For the first 6 days all I got was a white mist. Finally I thought about how much I loved my parents and how brave they were in facing Voldemort. How they sacrificed themselves for me. I shoved all my power and yelled out _Expecto Patronum_.

The mist came, much much more than before and slowly it took form. First the legs, then the reptilian wings and then the head. It's a dragon. I swear I was gawking at it. It turned its head, looked around for a threat and finding now, it disappeared. While I was resting, I wondered why the dragon was my patronus. I know from Voldemort's memories that Dumbledor's was a phoenix and I guess Fawkes has something to do with it. The only explanation I could come to was the basilisk and the phoenix presence in my blood as well as my wand. A dragon is a fire creature like the phoenix and also reptilian like the basilisk. I do the spell again to see the dragon more clearly. I recognize the breed. It's a Swedish Short-Snout. Its about 15 feet tall and looks at me with her head bent below the ceiling. As I reach out to its snout, my hand passes through and the dragon melts away.

The rest of the charm work went perfectly. I can disillusion myself to near invisibility. I can change myself to look, older, younger and even change my gender using glamours. I can cast the revealing charm without any problem, though I learnt a lesson as to not cast it at night inside a house. I had to witness my uncle's vague shape on top my aunt. How she survived that, I do not know. Yaach… I wish I could oblivate myself. And that's the only charm I'm not too confident about. I only used it once and that too on a muggle who was feeling sad that she didn't win a lottery. I oblivated her memory of that ticket. I used leglimens to make sure she was fine and it was successful.

So here I sit after 3 weeks of hard casting. And all I can say is I'm ready for a nice vacation. I just have one more spell to do today and then its good bye to this place until next year.

I walk downstairs to have a goodbye lunch with my relatives. It's a Sunday so Vernon is at home. I join them at the table and serve myself some food. My aunt and uncle are watching the news and Dudley is stuffing himself as usual. My uncle glances at me.

"So you are going tomorrow?"

"That's right."

He nods and goes back to the TV. I shake my head. I guess I gave up on them. At least they didn't bother me these past few weeks.

As I lose myself in thoughts of what I'm going to do tomorrow, I hear a name, which sounded familiar. I glance sharply at the TV to see a fleeting glimpse of a picture.

"Whose picture was that?"

"Some criminal named Sirius Black."

Sirius Black… Where did I hear it? Ahh… That's right. He was one of my dad's friends. I remember the memory in which Voldemort marked Pettigrew as a death eater and asked him to spy on his friends and the Order of Phoenix members. I scowl in anger. He was also the bastard who sold out my parent's secret. If I remember right, he was a rat animagus. Hmmm… I wonder what this is about. Why is Sirius Black an escaped convict? I have a couple of memories of him fighting death eaters along with my parents. He was a good duelist. On par with any inner circle member. I need more information. Not today though. I need to cast the permanent portkey spell.

I go back to my room and get my rune kit ready. I pull out the gem from my backpack. I also spy the parchment with writing I can't read. Maybe I'll share this with Dumbledore. I also spy the box from the Domitus vault. I nearly forgot about that. I try to open it again, but with no luck. I set it aside on my study table. I'll check it out after the portkey spell.

So I hunkered down at the table. I attach a magnifying eyeglass to my spectacles and get ready to curve the tiny rune sets on the gem. It's a white ivory like substance I never saw before. The regular carving knife wouldn't do the job. So I took out a highly durable needle-knife and heated it until it was white hot. That worked. It took my 2 hours to carve the rune sets. Once that is done, I put the gem in the gold ring with a permanent sticking charm. Now comes the hard part. I keep my mind on the coordinates and location. I gather all the magic I can and cast the charm. _Portus_.

I can feel the magic leaving me and entering the stone. And it kept on absorbing the magic. I was surprised. A gem shouldn't take in this much magic. It's been going on for 15 minutes and it doesn't look like it's going to end. I let it go for another 10 minutes and then decided to cut the magic. I don't want to totally exaust my magic. I remove my wand from the stone and stare at it. What kind of stone can absorb so much energy?

I'll test it out later tonight. I set the ring on the ring finger of my right hand. I pull up the box and observe it carefully to see if there is any hidden latch. None. So I poke my finger and a couple of drops of my blood fall on it. That does the trick as the lid clicks open. It seems lot of old families depended on blood magic to keep there secrets.

I open the lid and all I see is a potion vial with a red and yellow liquid in it. I never saw, even in Volde's memories such a potion before. I uncork it and smell it. There is no odor. The only potion I know which doesn't smell is veritaserum and it's pearly white in color. I cork it back again and secure it back in the box. I'll test it when I'm at Hogwarts.

* * *

I look around my empty room. I packed everything including my tent and firebolt, inside my trunk. I removed the Vacuum wards. The room is back to its original size. No evidence at all. I decided to keep my ward stones attached to the ministry ward, as it is highly unlikely anyone will check them. And even if they did, they can't identify the magical signature of hand. I tested out my permanent portkey last night and it was working fabulously. It's my thirteenth birthday and I'm ready to venture out into the world. My first stop?

* * *

AN: Thank you all for your reviews. Yes, Harry and Ginny will be a romantic pair. But not until they see others. Harry will have a relationship with Fleur before he gets involved with Ginny. Harry and Ginny's relationship will be friends at first and then when they become lovers, it will be more like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. This will be an action/adventure flick mostly. Romance is there, but not primary. I'll keep posting regularly for the next few days. After that I might take a short break before I start again. Please review. Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 04**

As I walk toward Magnolia crescent, I get the feeling that someone is watching me. I look around carefully while removing my wand. I need to get a holster. I reach the end of privet drive, when I hear a rustle in the bushes. A huge dog steps out and stares at me. I stare back. He sniffs around and moves closer to me wagging his tail. I slowly reach out to it as it smells my hand. I pet it and he licks me. A huge friendly grim like dog. Nice.

"I'm sorry partner, I can't take you in. I'm going on a vacation." He barks a soft woof. I see that he is starving as I can see the ribs.

"Dobby."

He pops in. "Harry Potter sir, called." The dog backs off a bit.

"Don't worry about him. Dobby is my friend." Dobby beams at that.

"Dobby, can you get any leftovers from Hogwarts? I need to go."

"Yes, Harry Potter sir."

He pops back in with food fit for 10 human meals. I set them aside in the bushes for the doggy to eat. He thanks me with a bark and I apparate to the ministry building to catch a portkey to my first destination.

* * *

­­­­­

Venice, Italy. The city of light. It seems to be a common occurrence for a teenager to get a portkey to a foreign country without an accompanying adult. I portkeyed to an Italian ministry building in Venice, where they copied the signature of my wand and my assumed name of James Smith. I'm under a minor glamour, changing my black hair to brown and hiding my scar. More than that and they might sense it.

When I first started my primary school, I was very interested in sketching and painting. But the Dursley's were strictly against such idiocracies and so nothing came out of it. Those few early years are probably the reason I am this good at runes. Now that I have my freedom and means to support myself, I plan to indulge myself in some memorable art by masters of yester years.

I change my glamour to look like a middle-aged adult and book into one of the junior suites at the Luna Hotel Baglioni, a 5-star hotel with direct access to the canals. The city is so beautiful, old and authentic. It doesn't have the hustle and bustle feel of London. It's kind of peaceful. After those 3 weeks of hard training, this is quite relaxing.

I spend my first 3 days taking in the sites. I visit some of the famous museums to check out their art. A couple of them even had a magical section. It's funny and exciting to have the artists, who were dead for centuries, talk about their paintings from their self-portraits. I tell one of them about my interests in art and also runes. He gives me the name of a shop in the magical section of Venice, which was supposed to have some very old runic books. Maybe I will find someone who will recognize the writing on the Peverell scroll. I relax on the water taxis as they move forward slowly. I even tasted a glass of muggle bear. I don't think I'm ready for that yet. It was too bitter. Give me butter beer any day.

I walk into an alley and touched the wall with my wand as instructed in my guidebook. I was sucked in and find myself in a very open courtyard. It's not as congested as Diagon. I walk slowly browsing from shop to shop. I stop at the bookstore I was told about. I show the owner the Peverell scroll. He asks me to take a seat and using a magnifying glass goes through it for quite sometime. He asks me where I got it and I tell him, it was something I found by accident. He hands me the magnifying glass and asks me to take a look at it.

"See those tiny markings in each letter? They are runes."

And it's the truth. This is fascinating. Each letter is made up of dozens of smaller runes, which I do not identify. A rune made of runes.

I ask the man if he knows what those smaller runes are? He says he saw one such rune before in Tibet, but do not know what it means.

Hmmm… Looks like I have another trip to plan soon. I buy a few rune books, which were interesting. Especially one book based on creating dimensional spaces.

I buy a few soverniers for my friends back home. A book on charms for Hermione and an antique bracelet for Ginny. I made sure to check it for any curses and such. I walk into the local Quidditch store. Their latest broom model is not as good as the firebolt. Few are. I buy Ron an Omniocular with a 20 year old world cup final game between Italy and Brazil recorded in it.

On my way out I see a pamphlet with a list of the world cup games and pick it up. Awesome. England is playing Italy in 3 days time in Rome.

* * *

­­­­­

On my way to Rome, I visit other historical sites like Milan, Turin and Florence. I portkey into Rome and get into a local hotel near the Quidditch stadium. The place is packed with wizards. I even see a red head, I swear is a Weasley. I browse the magical quarters and buy myself a nice dragon hide wand holster. I enquire if they have basilisk hide and the owner looked at me like I was crazy.

"Basilisks are near extinct, sir."

Hmmm… I wonder if I should tell him about the 60-foot one I killed.

I enter the Quidditch stadium and join the crowd near the ground. The match is about to start as I hear the commentator welcoming the crowd.

"Welcome everyone to the nineteenth match of the four hundred twenty second Quidditch worldcup. It's an important game for both England and Italy as they both lost a match each. And here comes the England team. The Keeper Eric Toole, the chasers Monica Melcose, Dorea McDoogal and the captain Osmosis smith, followed by the beaters Roderick Twonk and Hesper Beamish, and finally the seeker Thomas Willby."

I see the English team as they fly around in their firebolts. Mine is in my shrunken trunk in my pocket. The commentator welcomes the Italian team and the crowd, which is mostly of Italians, burst out in cheers.

And the match begins in earnest as both teams try to get the first goal. I immediately see that both the teams are evenly matched. England gets the first goal in and I cheer along. The 6 chasers on each team push their brooms to the limit as they fly at top speeds. 3 hours into the game England lead by 120 points. We are in a good position. If England can score 4 more goals without letting in any for the Italians, we will win even if we lose the snitch. There's a shout and I follow it to see the two seekers race each other to the snitch, which is fluttering near the ground. The crowd holds its breath. It's going to be close.

I wait under my invisibility cloak for the crowd to clear the ground. The cheers from the Italians can be heard for half a mile. England lost 670 to 700. We lost the snitch and England's seeker crashed into the ground. I hope he is all right. England needs to win the rest of its 3 matches, if there's to be any hope of qualifying for the Quarterfinals. Two of its 3 matches are with very good teams. Luxemburg and Transylvania.

I look around to make sure that the stadium is empty. I pull the cloak from around me. I enlarge the trunk, put the cloak inside and take out my broom. I pocket the trunk back and fly into the air. I still have a couple of hours of light and I plan to make full use of it.

I circle around the stadium to get a feel. Then, I let go. I completely give in to my instinct. I'm a bird in the sky. It's freedom. I play around for a while copying some of the chaser moves I saw earlier. I race up into the sky. The highest I have ever been, maybe 1000 feet… I then turn around and race to the ground. I push the broom to its top speed and beyond. It's a race of less than 6 seconds. I imagine I'm seeing a snitch. I reach out for it. I swerve as the imaginary bludger comes to knock me off my broom. I catch the snitch and pull up 5 feet from the ground. I whoop in joy. That was exhilarating.

I continue to fly at top speed, when I get an idea. Why not? Sure its crazy, but I can take care of myself. Time to completely let go. I put a sticking charm on my shoes and stand up on the broom. Yeah! Broom surfing. I rock.

And still the broom follows my will. I ride the winds, turning, twisting and even cartwheeling. I bend my knees directing the broom to the ground and as it nears it I level out and turn upside down. I stretch out and feel the grass as it skims my hands. What a rush. I think I became an adrenaline junkie.

I do one more wronski feint with the same intensity, while I do a sloth grip roll. I catch my imaginary snitch again and land on the ground. I kneel, while I breathe in and out with a smile. That was –

"Freakin awesome."

I turn around to see who my audience was. He was middle-aged man and he is striding toward me with a glint in his eyes. I get to my feet weary of him, when he slaps me on my back.

"Who taught you those moves? Standing on a broom and at that speed. And the wronski feint was perfect." He has a crazy smile on his face.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?"

He gives me his hand. "Terrance Waffling, the English coach at your service."

I shake his hand, a bit stunned. He leads me inside into the dressing rooms.

"Come on, Mr…" I look at him blankly.

"Unbelievable..."

He stops and I stop with him. He looks at me pleadingly. "You are English, aren't you?"

I nod to him. He smiles broadly and again slaps me on my back. He leads me inside… I guess the English locker. We walk into a private room and we sit at a table facing each other. I wait as he writes something on a parchment. I wonder what's going on.

He gives me the parchment. "Sign this and you are the new English seeker."

What? "You got to be kidding me."

"Absolutely not. With such talent, I'll be doing England a disservice if I don't give you a chance. Especially with Thomas injured for the match in 2 weeks. And our reserve is no where in the same class as you."

Oh! This is not good. He sees a 25 year old man in front of him. Not a 13 year old who entered the country under a false name and is under a glamour. This is not good.

I put down the parchment. "There's a problem."

"I don't care."

I breathe in deep and take out my wand. I wave it over myself and remove the glamour.

He looks at me stupified for words. "You are a kid."

I nod. "That's the problem."

"You are Harry Potter."

"Yeah. That's a problem as well."

"This is great. Awesome." He claps his hands in glee.

"Wait, what?"

"Come Mr. Potter, I'll show you to your new team members and then we will go and get your guardians to sign the contract."

"You don't understand, sir…"

"Call me Terry."

"You don't understand, Terry. My guardians are muggles and I entered the country under a false name."

"Nonsense. You are the best I saw on the broom in a long time and by god I'll get you as the seeker. England needs you Mr. Potter."

It's really tempting. I can be known for once as other than the boy-who-lived.

"What about school?"

He waves it off. "It's been done before Mr. Potter. That shouldn't be a problem. I'll talk fight Dumbledore if need be."

I nod to him hesitantly. "All right. But you can't mention to anyone that you saw me here. Not even the team."

"That's all right with me. We are heading home tomorrow anyway. Can you join us at the stadium? Do you know where it is?"

I nod yes to all his questions. "I might need a place to stay until school starts."

"Harry, we offer accommodations for all the team members. You can stay there until school starts."

"All right then."

"I must warn you Mr. Potter, the training will be hard. It will be the toughest thing you ever did."

I smirk at him. "We will see."

He laughs and gets up from the table and shows me to the door. "Welcome to the English National Quidditch Team Harry Potter."

There goes my holiday plans.

* * *

­­­­­

I head down privet drive to #4. I waited until Marge was out taking her dog for a walk. I don't want to deal with that bitch, ever.

As I near the house, Hedwig swoops in on me with a letter.

"Hey girl, how are you? Thanks for staying at the school these few days."

I take the letter, which happens to be my school letter. A clever little owl I have. I open it to see the hogsmead form. I guess I have to get two forms signed now.

"Go on girl. I'm not staying here. Find me later tonight."

As she flies off, I walk up to the door and knock on it.

My aunt opens the door and hisses at me. "What are you doing here?"

I push my way through. "Don't worry, I'm not staying. I just need you to sign these two forms and I'll be gone."

She grabs the form and the pen from my hand. She scowls at them.

"What are these?"

"Nothing important. One is a form, which will allow me to visit a village near school during weekends. The other form states that you agree to let me play a magical sport."

At the m word, she growls at me. She signs the forms in a hurry and gives them to me.

"Now, get out. I don't want Marge to see you."

"Neither do I."

I tuck in the forms and wave to her. "Thanks. See you next summer."

She slams the door on my face. Bloody relatives. They will never grow up.

* * *

­­­­­

I land on my feet covered in sweat. I just finished my first training session with the team. When the coach said the training would be hard, he wasn't kidding. I don't think I would have survived if not for my 3 weeks of running 4 miles everyday.

The team was shocked when I entered the stadium, which by the way is brilliant, and the coach introduced me as the new seeker. They were skeptical about me replacing Thomas, that is, until I did a perfect wronski feint and my personal favorite 'broom surfing'.

The hot shower feels good on my tired muscles. The coach was surprised with my stamina. Who knew running from Dudley and his gang from since I was 6 could be so helpful. I must remember to be kind to him next year. Maybe I'll transfigure him into a pig so he can eat all he wants. That's a very nice thought to sleep on. Dudley the pig running around as my aunt and uncle chase him. He he he.

I wear a casual muggle dress. I don't particularly fancy robes when I don't need them. As I exit the locker, I spy Dorea and Monica stepping out of theirs. Seeing them makes me wish I were a few years older. They have such nice curves. I hope I hit puberty soon.

They see me and grin. They have a peculiar glint in their eyes as they march toward me.

"Well, well, well… who do we have here Monica?"

"I think its Harry Potter, Dorea."

"Isn't he our new seeker, Monica?"

"You are right, Dorea and isn't he supposed to do something?"

"I think he is supposed to buy us drinks."

They each take a hand and march me toward the floo.

I eye them wearily. "You know I'm thirteen, right?"

"That shouldn't be a problem Mr. Potter. Us ladies will handle it."

As I grab the floo powder, they give me the address of a wizarding pub. Monica smiles at me with her cute dimples. "Don't worry Harry, the rest of the team will be there as well."

* * *

­­­­

It's a clear night. I sit at my desk in a cozy 1-bedroom apartment. I finish my letters to Hermione and Ron. I give them to Hedwig and she takes off.

I came back from the pub about 1 hour back. It was fun. The first time I've been to a pub. There was dancing, drinking and snogging. I didn't drink or snog, but did a jig or two. No one recognized me as I covered my scar with a cap I decided to always keep with me. Both Monica and Dorea are pretty good dancers. I just wish they would stop calling me cute. I'm a basilisk killer and dark lord destroyer. I'm not supposed to be cute. Dashing, daring, handsome. A Rogue. That's more like it.

I lie down on my bed and think about the match we play in 12 days. Luxemburg is a very good team. They lost to Argentina yesterday though. As it stands, Argentina is well on their way to the quarters having won their first 3 matches against Spain, England and Luxemburg. They will most likely win against Japan, which is the only weak team in our group. England needs to win all its three matches against Luxemburg, Japan and Transylvania for us to have any chance of getting into the quarters.

I take out my firebolt from its case and set it on the table. I press on the nose guard of my glasses to see the magic flowing through the broom. I see the different runes carved into it. I need to find their properties, so that when I carve my own set, the broom doesn't go haywire. I have an extra firebolt, which the team provided. So if something happens to my own, I have a backup.

Why do I want to mess with it in the first place? Because I can't use my wand during the match. The only magical tool you are allowed is the broom. The magic it can have doesn't have any limitations as long as it only affects the rider. And I'm not going to make any huge changes to it. Just a simple rune set, which activates a sticking charm at my command.

A lot of things go through my mind as I note down the runes on the broom. Mostly about the match. We decided not to let anyone know about me playing seeker until we play Luxemburg. The only person who knows about it other than the team is Ludo Bagman from the ministry and he was sworn to secrecy. We had to tell him as the ministry was providing for the team accommodations and also to get my passport. Incidentally I also got an underage magic waiver until the cup is done with or England exits the tournament.

I also wonder what everyone will think. I don't really care though. Looking back I know I cared too much on what others thought of my actions. That's how the Dursleys raised me. But not anymore. I have the magic, the knowledge and all the money I'll ever need to support myself. The only things I care about are in this room. I like my friends and do somewhat care about them. But honestly? I knew them for less than 2 years. I don't have that much of an attachment. After watching Pettigrew give up his friends to Voldemort, I am a bit weary about whom I trust.

* * *

­­­­

I am Harry James Potter. I survived the killing curse. I survived for 10 years in a cupboard. I burnt a dark lord with my hands. I killed a basilisk with a sword. I'm the youngest player ever to play in a Quidditch world cup. This is the mantra that I repeat in my head to keep my nerves calm.

It's the 20th of August. I stand alone at the back of our team as we wait for the commentator to announce us. This is it. D-day. Time to prove to the world that there is more to me than being the boy-who-lived.

I join the rest of the team in the sky as the crowd goes silent. The English crowd gets over their initial shock and cheer for us. I wonder if I'm part of that cheer.

We give our magical oaths to the refrie stating that we don't have any magical objects or tools other than our brooms. He flies down and throws up the quaffle. And there goes the whistle. Osmosis gets to it and passes it to Dorea, who throws it to Monica who's flying toward the goal hoops. Intercepted.

I keep a lookout for the snitch and the other seeker, all the time flying around the stadium, ducking quite a few bludgers. It seems I'm an unknown quantity to Luxemburg and they want me off the field.

Five minutes into the game and the score is tied between England and Luxemburg at 20 each. I see Monica set for a catch from Osmosis. She doesn't see the chasers flying to intercept the catch from behind her. I am the closest and shoot toward the chaser like a bullet. I block his path to the quaffle. Monica scores and I go back to seeking.

2 hours into the match, I see a spec of gold 500 feet below me. Luxemburg is leading by 30 points. It looks like it's coming down to the seeker. I race toward the snitch at the same time as the other seeker. 400 feet. 300. 200. 50. 30. 20. We both are close. He has a larger reach. I need an edge.

10 feet from it, the snitch takes an upward turn, away from us. This is it. I do a sharp inverted u-turn and a sloth grip roll. My lightweight helps. The other seeker is not far. The snitch is just a couple of feet in front of me. Holding the broom with one hand, I swing myself free of it. I land my feet on the broom. I activate the sticking rune. I lunge at the snitch. I do a cartwheel. I catch it.

I close my eyes. I lose myself in the moment. I let the momentum carry me for a few more cartwheels before I level with the ground. I open my eyes and hold the snitch for the world to see.

* * *

­­­­

The Leaky Cauldron is buzzing. It seems I became the talk of the town yet again. The daily prophet has a huge photo of me standing on the broom and lunging for the snitch. The coach held a press conference after our match with Luxemburg, where he told them how I came to try my firebolt at the stadium and caught the coach's eye. The Luxemburg team tried to make a big deal out of me adding the sticking rune to the broom. There was nothing illegal about it and the refrie said so.

I'm disguised under a glamour and have my hood up as well. Today's the 31st of August and I'm meeting the Weasleys and Hermione for lunch and to get our supplies. Tomorrow we leave for Hogwarts. The Weasleys came back from Egypt just the day before and I got an owl asking to meet for lunch. I have one more practice session today before school starts.

After tomorrow, it would dependent on my schedule. I will go for training on every weekend and at least 2 to 3 weekdays. Our next match is with Japan in November and then Transylvania in January, which is the last league match in our group. If we do end up winning both we will be at 3 points. Most likely we will end up playing a tie game with either Luxemburg or Transylvania as Spain lost another match to Transylvania. And if we do win the tie, then it's the quarterfinals in March. Semifinals in May and the Finals here in England in July.

The coach talked to Dumbledore and arranged for my training and subsequent travel out of the country. It seems that with Sirius Black out on the run, I need security. I wonder how the hell the ministry bungled that. Pettigrew who was a death eater got an order of Merlin and Sirius Black who fought for the ministry as an Auror was thrown into Azkaban for treachery and for killing Pettigrew and some muggles.

I tap on the bar to get Tom's attention.

"What can I get for you lad?"

"A butter beer please."

I take my drink and walk to an empty table at a corner with the whole view of the pub. I set my backpack beside me and sip the refreshing drink. I haven't heard anything from Brimspear regarding the pensieve. I hope he finds one soon. One of those blasted memories escaped into my dream and turned it into a nightmare last night. I could hardly get a wink.

As I take my final sip, I see the Weasleys and Hermione floo in. Ron and Hermione walk toward the bar and I guess ask Tom if he saw me. He answers no and they look disappointed. Ron especially looks excited. I doubt that it's about anything other than Quidditch.

Ginny hangs around with Mrs. Weasley. She has grown. She tied her hair in a ponytail for a change. She looks around the pub and catches my eye. She squints her eyes trying to look through my hood. I enter her mind. Her shields are as strong as ever and I don't 'poke' them. Two accomplished leglimens can communicate through their minds. I use this and whisper to her.

"It's me Ginny. Bring them to the table."

Ginny raises her eyebrow at that. She whispers something to her mother who calls for Ron and Hermione and they walk toward me. Ron and Hermione look confused at first that is until I removed my glamour. And Then –

"HARRY", both rush toward me. It was lost in the noisy pub. Thank god.

My bushy haired friend gives me a hug and Ron slaps me on the back.

"Harry… congrats. How was Luxemburg? Did you see their historical museum?"

"Mate, tell me all about the team. How's the firebolt? Charlie saw the match… How did you stand up on the broom?"

I laugh. Typical Ron & Hermione. "Hold your horses. We will talk later in the train."

"Ronald Weasley. Where are your manners? Don't shout. Harry dear, how are you?" asks Mrs. Weasley as she gives me a hug, which is always nice. She looks keenly at me and nods her acceptance.

"You look much better, dear. You have grown as much as Ron. And I'm so proud of you. Playing for England and at such an young age… Just promise you will be careful. It can be such a rough game…"

"Yes Mrs. Weasley."

Ron rolls his eyes, which Mrs. Weasley sees and gives him a mouthful. As Hermione watches that with amusement, I glance at Ginny.

"You look well, Ginny."

"Thanks, Harry. Egypt was nice."

I nod and we stare at each other. There is a sort of tension between us. We both have our secrets to hide.

As Molly calms down, we break our stare. Ron is a bit subdued. Molly tries to hurry us into alley, but I stop her. "Please have a seat Mrs. Weasley. I want to discuss something with you all." They all take a seat and looks expectantly at me.

"You remember the basilisk I killed?"

Molly shudders and they all nod yes. "I made some enquiries and it's worth a lot. My guess would be around 400,000 galleons."

They look stunned at this. "According to ministry salvage rights, all those involved in the killing of a dangerous creature are fully entitled to anything the carcass might bring in the market."

I glance at each of them. "And the four of us are equal partners in it."

Molly starts to protest. "But Harry dear, you killed it."

I shake my head at that. "Without Hermione's help, we wouldn't have known it was a basilisk. Without Ron's, Lockheart would have wiped my memory. And you Ginny suffered the most. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have gone down to the chamber. So you all deserve it."

They all take in the news. 100,000 galleons is a lot of money. I pick up my backpack and remove 3 bags of galleons and give one to each of them.

"That's ten thousand galleons each. I thought you might want to use some money today. Think of it as a loan against your share. You can pay me back later as it will take more than a year to sell the whole thing."

They look stunned at the moneybag. Molly gets up and gives me a big hug with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Harry. You are a good friend."

It's not like I need the money anyway. I made 300,000 galleons with my first match. It's what I make for catching a snitch in a league game. It's 750,000 for a quarterfinal. 1.5 million for a semifinal and 4 million for a final. Yeah, I was surprised as well.

Molly turns to Ron who's eyes the galleons with glee.

"Don't you dare spend it on anything stupid, young man. You need to save it for your future. We will open vaults for you both and deposit the money in that."

Ron looks at her scandalous. "But mom, I always wanted a nice broom…"

Molly struggles a bit but finally accedes. "Fine. 1000 galleons and nothing more." She turns to Ginny. "What about you Ginny dear?"

"I'm fine mom. Maybe a new wand."

Molly smiles at that.

I glance at Hermione to see her eyeing me with curiosity. I think I'm in for a round of questioning when we three are alone.

Molly urges us to move on saying setting up the vaults and shopping will take time.

Ron and Hermione lead the way to the bank, with me on their heals. As we near the bank, I hear Ginny saying to her mother that she can have her share for the family.

We enter the bank and Molly directs Ron, Ginny and Hermione to where they can open their accounts. As they do that I visit Brimspear and urge him to speed up finding the pensieve as soon as possible. He says the fastest way to acquire it with hundred percent surety is to order one from a Rune master. It will cost a lot more than a preexisting one and will take at least 3 months. I ask him to do that. If I find one before then, I'll just keep both for now. We discuss the size of the pensieve, its features and the price.

All 5 of us finish our business and step out of the bank. We go to Madame Malkins first. I remove my hood and she recognizes me. She asks if I can sign an autograph for her 10 year old nephew. I oblige and ask her to keep it quite. I don't want to be mobbed by crazy fans. Ron and Ginny bought new robes for the first time. Ginny looks unconcerned and Ron stares at his clothes in joy.

We finish our book shopping where Hermione bought books on all the offered subjects. I look at her book bag curiously wondering why she wants to take muggle studies.

"Hermione, why are you taking muggle studies?"

"It will be interesting from a wizarding point of view."

I sigh in exasperation. "You do realize that wizards don't really know what it is like to live as a muggle? You are going to waste your time. And divinition?"

"Exactly Harry. Maybe we can point out the obvious. And Divinition might be informative…"

Ron pitches in. "I still can't believe you want to take runes and arthemancy, mate."

I smile at him. "They are very interesting Ron."

He shrugs to that. "Your funeral."

They both get the monster book of monsters. The clerk nearly cried when they asked for 2 copies mumbling something about them tearing the store apart. I got mine from Hagrid as a gift. I wonder if he was involved with the book assignment.

Ron bought a Nimbus 2001 and we step into Ollivanders to get Ron and Ginny their first wands.

Ollivander sees us and steps out. "Welcome."

He glances at Hermione first. "Ms. Granger. Vine wood and Dragon heartstring from a horntail, 10 inches. Good for Transfiguration. Is it working well?" Hermione smiles and nods.

He glances at Molly. "Molly Weasley. 13 inches, Ebony and Dragon heartstring from a female fireball."

Molly blushes a little. "Yes, Mr. Ollivander."

Finally he glances at me. "Harry Potter. Yes. A very interesting wand. Can I see it please?"

I nod and give it to him.

Hermione sees it. "Harry that's not your wand is it?"

"After the chamber incident my old wand wouldn't work for me. So I got a new one this summer."

Ollivander pitches in. "Yes. It's a very interesting wand. One of a kind."

Everyone looks at me curiously as Ollivander gives it back to me. I stay silent. Some secrets are better not said.

Ollivander glances at Ron and Ginny. "Are you here for your wands? I don't remember selling one to either of you?"

"This will be their first wand, Mr. Ollivander." Molly tells him.

He nods and starts with Ron. After a couple of dozen tries he finds a good fit with a 10 inches willow and unicorn hair. Ginny took a little longer but at the end got her match with ebony and phoenix feature, 11 inches. As we move out, I whisper to Ollivander that I'll see him in a few days. Now that I'll be out of the castle for training, I can drop by sooner and give him the 3 fangs I promised.

On the way back to the leaky, Hermione stops at the pet shop to buy her first pet, which happened to be an ugly looking half Kneazle named Crookshanks. It promptly tried to eat Scabbers, Ron's rat. I mean seriously, what cat wants to eat a rat.

As we finish our lunch, I ask Ron if he wants to see the stadium and meet the team later in the evening. That was a silly question. Of course he wanted to. Ginny and Hermione wanted in as well. I said goodbye and told them to floo in around 4. I promised Molly to meet her at the station tomorrow.

I introduced the three of them to the team and they got a first hand experience on how grueling my daily training sessions are. Ron took his nimbus and my spare firebolt for a ride around the stadium. They flooed back to the burrow in the evening.

I got into the cool shower thinking about Hogwarts tomorrow and all the stares I will get. But this time it's not because of stupid hyphenated name, but because of my own talent. I can live with that.

* * *

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AN: That's chapter 4 folks. We move into 3rd year now. Will be a nice exciting year. I'd say maybe 4 to 5 chapters to take us to the world cup. Please review. Thanks.


	5. Chapter 5

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 05**

I arrive at the platform around 10:30 under a glamour. As I wait for the Weasleys to arrive, I spy someone familiar walk by wearing clothes well past their prime. I stare at him until he gets into the train. I rack my memories but with no luck.

The Weasleys and Hermione arrive with 10 minutes to spare. I remove my glamour just when a couple of first year boys pass me. They see me and shout "Harry Potter."

Goddamn it. I turn around to face them when the platform falls into silence. It seems most of them heard the high-pitched shout. And then begins the mayhem. They surround me. There is no escape. Mr. Weasley tries to reach me through the crowd.

They touch me, pull me, and push me. Some ask for an autograph and some for a kiss. I swear someone even tried to pull my pants down. This is it. I need to get out.

I take out my wand and fire a mild wide area banisher pushing the crowd in front of me a few feet back. I repeat the process until everyone is clear of me. I magnify my voice to get everyone's attention.

"Listen, the next person to touch me will end up on their back, stunned. If you are a student, you will see me at school. If you are not, then you can see me at the stadium or during a match."

The train blows its final whistle shocking everyone to move and get on the train. Mr. Weasley, Arthur, quickly pulls me to the side and explains all about how Sirius Black is supposed to be after me. I ask him why and I get some rubbish that he wants to kill me and bring his master back. I tell him not to worry and that I will be careful.

I get in as the train starts to move and we look for a compartment. Ron finds one with the familiar guy sleeping in it. As we enter the compartment, Ron scowls at Ginny who enters after me.

"Go away, Ginny."

Ginny takes out her wand and threatens Ron. "If you ever again tell me what to do Ronald, I'll curse your mouth off. Is that clear?"

Ron nods dumbly. She turns around and walks away with dignity.

I smile at her back. You got to love that spirit of hers.

Hermione slaps Ron on his hand as we settle into the compartment.

"Ow… What was that for?"

"You can be such an insensitive prat."

"What! I want her to find her own friends."

I pitch in. "That is it Ron. I don't think she made any last year."

"Let her make her own. How else will she fit in?"

For some reason I don't think Ginny and for that matter I can really fit in with the students. All those memories… Good and bad make a difference. They gave me confidence and brought out my sense of adventure. They thought me about life and how fragile it is. How one person's anger can make him into a monster.

I sit down with my two friends as they bicker with each other. I glance at the man sitting beside me and wonder again about who he is. Ron voices my question, when Hermione points out the answer.

"Remus Lupin."

I remember now. A werewolf. One of Pettigrew's friends. One of my dad's friends. First Sirius and now Remus. It seems the old crowd is coming back from the woodworks.

"How do you know that?" asks Ron.

She points to the luggage, which has his name on it.

I murmur more to myself. "Must be the new defense professor."

Ron nods. "Hope he is better than the others we had."

Hermione narrows her eyes at me. "Now Harry, can you tell us how you could perform magic out of school? I saw you remove a glamour yesterday and the banisher today. Both are NEWT level."

"Yeah, mate. That was cool."

I smile. "I can do magic because I have a permit until the world cup ends or England disqualifies." As they open their mouth… I interrupt them.

"But. The other reason I can do magic is, the ministry cannot track underage magic. They only track it based on the area where an underaged student is living with muggles."

Hermione frowns at that. "Are you saying that students living in wizarding houses can perform magic?"

I nod to her. "That's so unfair."

Ron adds his own thoughts. "How come no one ever told us… I could have used it for so many chores."

I smile at the both of them as Hermione chews Ron to bits for not thinking of learning magic if he could. I open my trunk and pull out the soverniers I bought for them. I told them I bought them in Luxemburg, not in Venice. They thank me and Hermione absorbs herself in the book and Ron in the Omnicular displaying the match. I sort some my memories of Remus and how I'm going to deal with him.

I step out of the compartment in search of Ginny. I find her sitting with a blonde haired glassy eyed girl. I knock on the door and step inside. I sit beside Ginny who raises an eyebrow at me. I glance at the blonde to see her staring at me.

"You are Harry Potter."

"You must be mistaken. I'm Rupert Thebarmy third."

She smiles. "Pleased to meet to you Rupert. You don't have any nargles infesting you. You had them last year."

"Most fortunate for me. And who might you be?"

Ginny answers for me. "This is Luna Lovegood, Harry. She's a Ravenclaw in my year."

"Luna Lovegood, my pleasure." She gives me a dreamy smile and goes back to reading her magazine, a Quibber, upside down.

I turn to Ginny and give her the bracelet. "I bought this for you during summer as a sovernier."

She observes it for a while and then performs a diagnostics on it.

"Don't worry I checked it for curses."

She puts it on and thanks me. We eye each other. "What you did for your family, giving them your share, was a very decent thing to do."

She shrugs. "I was never concerned for the money. And I don't really deserve it."

I didn't argue with her knowing I wouldn't win. I get up to leave when I stop to make a comment. "I know what happened with the diary. I know what it was, what it did to you and what you got from it."

She looks shocked at me. "If you need help sorting it out, you know where to find me."

I turn to see Luna engrossed in her magazine, or so it seems. "See you later, Luna."

"Goodbye Rupert."

I close the door chuckling to myself.

I go back to my compartment and we enjoy a nice snack from the trolley. Draco comes by for a visit as usual.

"What do we have here, a scarhead, a weasel and a mudblood."

Ron gets up hotly with his wand raised. I put a hand up and stop him.

"Draco, you really need to come up with different insults. It's not very purebloodish to use the same insults on us second class citizens."

He looks confused. "What?"

"Nothing monkey brain. How's your death eating daddy?"

A pink tinge appears on his cheeks. "What do you say?"

"Which part? The part where I called you dog breath or your dad a incompetent assole? I ask him sincerely.

He takes out his wand ready to curse me. But seeing my malicious smile and the wand twirling in my hand, he hesitates.

Hermione jumps in at that moment. "You don't want to start a fight with in front of a professor, do you?" She points to Remus.

Malfoy puts his wand back and leaves the compartment in a huff.

Ron bursts out laughing. "That was awesome, Harry. Dog breath…"

Hermione's lips twitch as well. "You are different this year, Harry."

I shrug. "I feel confident. It makes all the difference in the world I guess. So how's the book?"

"It's fascinating. It talks about the different charms used in day to day maintenance of a house."

"Thought you would like it. You can compare the wizarding way to the muggle way."

She nods. "Especially the part used for maintaining food." She pauses. "What else have you learned Harry?"

As I was about to answer, the train comes to a halt. We couldn't have reached Hogsmead yet and Hermione agrees with me. Ron puts his face to the mirror. "Someone's getting in."

I feel a chill in the air. Something disturbingly familiar about it. As I fidget in my seat nervous, the door opens and someone stumbles in. It's Neville, Ginny and Luna.

I ask them to sit, when -

"Quite," said a hoarse voice suddenly. I look behind me to see Remus conjure a fire. He gets up and steps toward the door. "Stay put while I see what's going on."

But before he can move any further, I feel the chill intensify. The door opens and a hand with rotten flesh comes into view. A rattling breath sucks in the air. The dementors of Azkaban.

I can feel the memories I blockaded stir and try to escape. I can hear the voice, the torture, the screams. In midst of that, I hear a woman scream, asking not to hurt Harry. I know that voice. It's the first thing I saw after getting Voldemort's memories. The voice of my mother as she pleads Voldemort not to kill me.

How dare they. HOW DARE THEY. I whip my wand out and shout "Expecto Patronum." A Thick fog escapes. Not my best work. I guess it's different when you have to do the spell while facing a dementor.

I strengthen my mental shields. I shout again with much more concentration. "Expecto Patronum." My dragon comes out rearing. A wolf joins it as they drive the dementors away from the compartment.

I get to my feet and step out of the compartment. I urge my dragon to drive every single one of them off the train. As the chill clears from the air, I walk back in and slump into an empty seat. I look around and see everyone staring at me with wild eyes. Ginny looks haggard. Luna lost her dreamy look and has tears in her eyes. Neville looks ashen, same as Ron and Hermione. I look at the only other adult to see him staring at me in amazement. I guess the Patronus was impressive.

He gives each of us a chocolate slab and asks us to eat it. "I will be back in a few minutes. I need to talk to the conductor." He steps out closing the door behind him.

After a few minutes of silence the train starts to move.

Ron finally asks the question on everyone's mind. "What was that?"

I answer him in a solemn voice. "It's a dementor. The vile creatures that guard Azkaban."

I take a huge breath. "I guess it was here looking for Sirius Black."

Hermione shudders at that. "I felt like I won't be happy anymore."

I nod. "They feed on positive energy, draining it from us. They make you relive your worst memories."

"What was that spell you did Harry?"

Before I answer that Remus walks back in. He stares at all of us still holding the chocolate bars. "It's not poison you know. Eat it. You will feel better."

We all take bites out of it. I look up to see Remus staring at me.

"That was a very impressive patronus, Harry. I don't think I ever heard of one being produced by a 13 year old. Let alone a corporeal patronus."

I nod in acceptance of the praise. "It took me a week to get it right."

He laughs at that. "I dare say your mother and father will be very proud of you."

I smile at that. "Thanks Remus."

"You know who I am?"

I point to his luggage. He nods at that. "I also know that you, Peter, Sirius and my Father were close friends in school."

He looks shocked at that. "How… How do you know that?"

I shrug. "Bits and pieces here and there. Mostly from news archives. I did some research after Sirius escaped. That's when I learned the patronus charm as well."

He nods and stares at me for a moment. I know what he's thinking. I only found about it a few days after my trip from Italy and that too by coincidence when I asked Brimspear for my parent's will.

"Yes, I also know that he's my godfather. I saw my parent's will."

He nods. "Promise me you won't go after that traitor, Harry."

I laugh out loud. "Don't worry Remus. I hardly think Sirius will harm me."

He starts to protest. "Harry… He is a very dangerous man."

"Oh! I have no doubt about that."

He has an inquisite look about him.

I sigh out loud. "I promise I won't go after him, alright?"

He nods just as the train stops at Hogsmead.

As Remus steps out of the compartment, I whisper to my friends. "I'll tell you later."

We ride the carriage drawn by Thestrels in silence. I can't see them, but I do have a Memory of Tom seeing them for the first time after killing his muggle father. We get into the great hall without a fuss. McGonagall asks Hermione to accompany her and while we sit and wait for the sorting to begin, she comes back beaming.

"What's up Hermione?"

"Nothing Harry."

I shrug and turn toward the head table. Like the rest of the school, most of the professors seem to be staring at me. Even Snape. And it's not with hatred. Curiosity for most part and do I sense a modicum of respect? And unlike my compatriots, I don't think it has anything to do with being a seeker. As I catch his eyes, he averts his gaze. I move on to see Dumbledore watching me with curiosity. I wink at him with a cheeky smile and turn back to my friends as the first years come trooping in.

Gryffindor got 14 new students and Dumbledore announced Remus and Hagrid as the new professors for DADA and Care for magical creatures. I cheer for the both of them. In the middle of the feast, the great hall doors smash open and Barty Crouch comes marching in with 3 Aurors and Amelia Bones, the head of DMLE.

They march to the head table and talk to Dumbledore in whispers. I watch him as he glances at me. I do a switching spell to exchange my ear with a first year at the other end of the table to hear the conversation.

"I don't care Dumbledore. Someone on the train drove away the Dementors and I want to know why."

Dumbledore face darkens. "I said this before and I will say it again Barty. A school and a train carrying school children are no place for Dementors. Now I must ask you to leave."

"You are overstepping your bounds Dumbledore…"

I heard enough. I reverse the switching spell to stop the first year from poking my ear to check its audibility. I get up and stride toward the head table.

Dumbledore sees me and straightens up. "Can I help you Harry?"

"I'm sorry Professor, but I couldn't help but hear the whispers. I thought maybe I could throw some light on the prevailing subject."

Crouch interrupts, rudely might I add. "Who are you boy?"

"Harry Potter at your service. And you are?"

"Bartimus Crouch, head of International magical cooperation."

"And why are you responsible for the dementors Bartimus Crouch, head of International magical cooperation?"

He bristles at the question. I see Amelia Bones smile softly.

"The convict was a responsibility of mine. I asked Madame Bones to put me in charge."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't know that." I say in my sincere voice. He turns back to Dumbledore to ask another question when I interrupt him.

"Is this convict by chance, Sirius Black?"

"Yes Mr. Potter. Do you have any information on him?" asks Amelia Bones.

"None Madame. Other than the fact that he is innocent."

The table and I think the whole school looks on silently at this proclamation.

"What did you say Mr. Potter?" asks Amelia again. Bartimus is lost for words. But I feel the anger flowing from him.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Madame. Or did our government forget that? Sirius Black never got a trail."

I see Snape get up to say something unpleasant, when Dumbledore stops him. I see that Albus is indeed enjoying the show, even though he is concerned with all the proclamations I'm making.

"How dare you. You don't know anything boy. Who do you think you are?"

I straighten up my shoulder and look into his eyes. "I'm Harry James Potter, godson of Sirius Black. I destroyed a dark lord when I was a baby. I killed a 60-foot basilisk when I was twelve. I became the youngest seeker ever to play the worldcup when I was thirteen. What did you do?"

I dare say with my new athletic built I might look a little imposing.

I can see and feel the shock on his and many other faces. I don't think many knew of the basilisk. Dumbledore looks at me with a mild glint in his eyes.

I turn around to leave when I stop and face Crouch again. "By the way, I was the one who produced the patronus."

He scoffs at that. "Don't brag boy. No mere 13 year old can produce a patronus capable of driving a dozen dementors."

I smile at him. I whip my wand out and point at him. I see the Auror's drawing their wands as well. This is a wonderful moment. I can feel it inside me. And I release my dragon without a verbal incantation. Crouch stumbles back as the dragon erupts from my wand. I make it fly high above near the enchanted ceiling. It releases a jet of silver flame and lands back near me. I stoke its nose. The patronus is strong enough to have a physical presence. Its not as strong as it could have been with a verbal incantation, but good enough. I let go of it and it dissolves into a fine mist and disappears.

Crouch stares at the place where the Dragon stood in shock. It's time to make an exit.

I face Albus. "Headmaster, may I be excused? I am finicky about staying in the same room as hypocritical fools who give proven death eaters like their own son a trail and throw someone else, who was caught at an incident, but was never proven or named as a death eater into Azkaban without a trail."

Albus nods his head. I turn around and walk out of the silent hall. As I walk toward the common room, I crack a smile. What a start to the year. Let the games begin.

* * *

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I wake up early in the morning. I went to bed as soon as I got back from the feast. The dementors affected me more than I thought. I enforced the barriers around the torturous memories and hoped I won't have a nightmare again. I was lucky. It was a pleasant night.

There is one thing I need to do before anyone else wakes up. I pull out my invisibility cloak and go up to the seventh floor. I walk 3 times across the painting for barnabass the barmy thinking of a place I need to hide my stuff. A door appears and I enter the room. I cam here to destroy the only Horcrux easily accessible at this point and it doesn't have any curses on it.

I look through the room to see a ton of different items lost through the ages. I wonder why Voldemort thought he was the only person who knew the secret of this room, when so many other items are stored here.

I walk through an aisle at the far end. I'm looking for a glass case with a head bust with Lady Rowena's tiara on top of it. I see it and run a diagnostic just in case. It's clean other than the soul fragment within it. I open the case and put the tiara in my backpack.

I quickly vacate the room and walk down to Myrtle's bathroom. I open the sink and slide down the pipe. I walk into the chamber to see it exactly as I left it.

I walk to the basilisk and put the tiara on the floor. I cut a fang clean through the basilisk mouth and levitate it over the tiara. I stab the tiara with the fang. For a moment nothing happens, then a hideous scream breaks through. A black smoke comes plummeting out and disappears.

Another diagnostic proves that the soul has been destroyed. I clean the tiara thoroughly of any basilisk venom left over and bag it. I remove two wooden boxes from my backpack and set them aside.

I remove the three fangs I promised Ollivander and box them. I remove 3 more fangs in case I need one each for the remaining horcruxs. The locket, the ring and the cup. One fang should be fine for all. But, why take the risk when there are more than enough fangs to go?

I box the fangs and leave the chamber. I need talk to the headmaster about scheduling a Goblin salvage operation. I'm sure he'll call me sometime today.

I walk back to my dorm and secure the backpack within my trunk. I see a few of the boys stirring and head for a quick shower before breakfast.

The rest of the students slowly join me for breakfast and the owls fly in. The staring is nearly as bad as the first day of my first year.

Ron and Hermione keep shooting me glances. I roll my eyes at their antics.

"Alright, what?"

Hermione fidgets a bit. "When did you learn that charm Harry? I asked Percy and he said that it was above NEWT level."

"I learned it during summer Hermione. Remember I have a permit and was staying in a wizarding location? I practiced it for over seven hours to get it right."

"Is Sirius Black really your godfather Harry?" asks Ron. I see Neville playing close attention to our chat.

"He is."

"And you think he is innocent?"

I sigh. I got to be careful. "I don't know guys. He was never given a trial when many death eaters got one. I like to think my parents were not such bad judges of character to name a death eater as my godfather."

Hermione bursts out at that moment. "Will you teach us the patronus charm, Harry?"

I shrug. "Sure. But I must warn you. It will be pretty taxing initially. So we got to do it over the weekend after my Quidditch practice." They nod at that.

I glance at Neville. "You know Neville, you can join us as well."

He looks down at his plate mournfully. "I don't think I'm powerful enough, Harry."

"Dragon dung. You are as good as any of us. You don't have enough confidence that's all. Right, so you are joining us and I'll teach you guys what I learnt during summer. Some of it is pretty advanced."

Hermione raises her eyebrows at that. "Advanced than the Patronus?"

I scratch my nonexistent beard. Hermione giggles at that. "Harry you don't have a beard."

I roll my eyes at her. "Thanks for pointing the obvious. I'm practicing for the future. I know some advanced stuff. I won't go into details just now. But I'll bring the list of things I learnt for our first session."

She pouts at that and goes back to her breakfast. I spy Ginny sitting further down the table with her friends. I think I'll invite her as well. Lets see what she's got.

I see Minerva handing out the schedules. When she reaches us, she purses her lips into a fine line. "Mr. Potter, the headmaster wishes to chat with you before dinner tonight. The password is lemon drops."

I nod to her and take the schedule. I have Arthemancy followed by transfiguration and then Care for magical creatures. Looks like I'll be training on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons along with the weekends.

I look at Hermione's schedule. "Hermione, how are you going to attend Divination and Muggle studies at the same time as Arthemancy?"

She fidgets nervously. "Don't be stupid, Harry. I can't be at three places at the same time."

"I know. That's why I asked."

She picks up her bag and changes the subject. "We will be late for Arthemancy if we don't leave now."

Fine. I guess she has her secrets as well. The two of us head for Arthemancy, that is until I find that I'm alone. I enter the class and take my seat and Hermione walks in just as the bell rings. We are the only two Gryffindors in the class. The subject itself would have been tough if not for Volde's memories.

I decided to downplay some of my knowledge in Arthemancy until a couple of months into the school year. Runes is a different issue. Even without Volde's memories, I know I would have been great at it.

I am going to use his knowledge and make more out of it. It's a gift and if I don't make proper use of it, there is no excuse. The one I decided to concentrate on this year is magical theory. To understand the true purpose of magic and maybe its limitations.

After Arthemancy we go to Transfiguration, where Minerva starts her first class of the year with her traditional animagus transformation. That's another thing I want to be, an animage. But not right now. Maybe before my fifth year. There are two ways to go about it. The first is what most use nowadays. A potion, which puts the wizard or witch into a magically hallucinated sleep where they get a representation of their animal. Then they change their body parts one at a time until they achieve full transformation. The advantage of this method is, it is considerably easy to attain a form in 1 or two years depending on the power and effort put into it. The disadvantage is, the attributes of the form do not cross over.

The second is a much tougher method, which involves a ritualistic release. But before one does the ritual, they need to attain a true unity within them. Unity between mind, body, magic & soul. Once that is achieved, a simple ritual will release the animal spirit from within you. The advantage of this method is, the characteristics of the animal will carry over into human form and sometimes that can be very helpful. The disadvantage is that, well for one, not many know about it, and the other is that it takes a considerable amount of time. One needs to connect their mind to their magic and then encompass their body with it. Then the ritual will connect the soul to form a unity and release the animal within. Voldemort being proficient in both mind and wandless magic, found it an easy task to achieve. His form is predictably a snake. It probably accounts for his fast reflexes.

I plan to follow the second method myself. It will also help me better understand magic and wandless magic is something I want to be good at. Atleast to escape from a tight situation if need be.

After transfiguration, we have our lunch and go to out last class of the day, Care for magical creatures. I can see Hagrid is pretty excited about it. He asks us to gather around a fence and open our books.

"And how exactly do we do that?" shouts Malfoy.

"What are you? An imbecile? Can't you cast a simple revealing charm on it?" I answer back shaking my head in disgust. "And you call yourself a pureblood. Stroke the spine, Malfoy." That put him in his place. To tell the truth, a revealing charm is more of a 4th year material, but as a pure blood growing up in a magical house, that's one charm he should have learnt a long time back.

Hagrid beams at me and then brings the creatures we will study today. Hippogriffs. Beautiful and proud creatures they are. I even got too ride one named Buckbeak. Malfoy as usual tried to disrupt the class by insulting Buckbeak.

I glanced at his surface thoughts and knew what he was trying to do. I accioed him into his pals Crabbe and Goyle before he could be seriously damaged by Buckbeak's talons for insulting him. Hagrid didn't need that shit and he gave Malfoy a week's detention and made my day.

As I walk back into the common room, the twins and Oliver wood corner me. Oliver pumped my hand vigorously. "Harry, I knew you had it in you. But I never imagined playing for England as a third year."

I smile and thank him. I know what's coming. "So Harry, can you play for Gryffindor this year?"

"Sorry Oliver, I can't. I'll be in pretty rigorous training with the team as it is."

He nods sadly. "I thought so. It's too bad. You were the best we had."

I tell him that my old Nimbus is for the team and to give it to the new seeker. He thanks me and walks away. I turn to the twins who put a hand each around my shoulder.

"Harry old boy, what you pulled last night…"

"Was a prank worthy of the marauders."

"We are so proud of you." And they try to give me a mock hug. I push them away laughing. They become a tad bit serious and whisper to me.

"But seriously Harry, you should be careful of Crouch. We heard dad say that he is powerful within the ministry."

"Don't worry guys, I can take care of that shit bag."

"Oh Gred! Me thinks our dear old harrykin has grown up. Using such grown up words…"

As they depart they whisper one final warning to me. "Be wary of Percy, Harry. He's right pissed at you."

"We think he's in love with Crouch."

I thank them and take a seat near the fire. As I'm absorbed in my thoughts, I feel a small hand getting my attention. It's one of the first years and he wants my autograph.

I walk toward Dumbledore's office rubbing my wrist soothingly. That one autograph turned into an avalanche. Thank god I don't have to do this everyday.

I give the password to the gargoyle and climb up the stairs. I hear a "Come in Harry" and walk inside to see Dumbledore alone with Fawkes.

"Hello Professor. Hey Fawkes."

The phoenix trills a greeting in return and flies to my lap as I sit down. I pet it for a few moments in silence.

"It seems that Fawkes took a liking to you Harry." I smile at the old man.

"I think we have a good understanding professor. You called me?"

"Yes. It seems you had an interesting summer?"

"You can say that Professor." We stare at each other and I sense a feather light probe, not intrusive, probably to judge the truthfulness in my answers. Dumbledore is surprised at sensing the mind shields.

Dumbledore takes out his wand and holds it in a non-threatening fashion. I raise an eyebrow at this. I'm sure I'll get an answer for this action.

"I want you to do me a favor Harry."

I nod signaling him to go on. "I want a magical oath from you stating that you are who you claim to be."

Hmmm… It seems the patronus and now the mind shields spooked the old man. Why not? I take out my wand and hold it in my right hand. "I swear on my magic that I am Harry James Potter, son of James Potter and Lily Potter." The magic flares and settles. He nods and puts his wand back.

"Forgive me Harry, but your actions of recent past were unexpected."

"I understand professor. I would have done the same. It was a fairly harmless thing to ask."

"May I see your wand? It seems you have changed it."

I give it to him with a smirk. "It won't work for you."

He raises his eyebrows at that. "You have blood bonded with it?"

I nod yes. "Since the chamber incident, my old wand wouldn't work. So I had to replace it. It was Fawkes who actually suggested the second core."

"A second core…"

"12 inches, holy and yew with a powdered basilisk fang and Fawkes feather mingled with my own blood."

He looks at the wand astounded. He stares at it for a few more minutes before he hands it over to me. "Use it wisely, Harry."

I nod to him and he continues with our meeting. "We don't have much time before dinner starts. So lets continue with the topics at hand."

He hands me a parchment with my Quidditch training schedule. It was as I expected. "Hope that meets your approval? You can floo to the stadium from Professor McGonagall's office."

I nod again. "Your schedule will be hectic this year. You need to work hard to keep up with your course work."

"That shouldn't be a problem professor."

"Yes, it seems that your aptitude for magic has increased. Moving on. Please explain how you came about the information about Sirius Black?"

I give him the same shmeal as I gave Remus back in the train. "It feels fishy to me Professor, that a man is thrown into Azkaban without trail for twelve years. I want justice for him and for me. If he is guilty, he deserves the kiss and if he is not, I'll have a godfather."

"I'll see what I can do about arranging a trail. But it won't be an easy task."

"I agree and that's one of the reasons why I went off on Crouch. I'm sure tomorrow's prophet will have some account of it. For a change, I want to use my celebrity for something I want."

"Lets hope for the best."

We stare at each other again. "Would I be correct in assuming that you learned about the mind arts and Patronus during the summer?"

I nod to him. Time for a half-truth. "After I got my wand, it was as if my magic was alive professor. It gave me confidence. I wanted to do better at school and I found that Occlumency would help with concentration as well as stronger and difficult magics. That's the first thing I learned. Later after I got my permit, I concentrated mostly on transfiguration and charms. Some offensive spells like the disarmer and stunner and some basic shields. I learnt the Patronus after researching about Azkaban. I thought with me going out to different countries, its better to be prepared."

"And I congratulate you. The patronus was very impressive. Can I see an example of another spell?"

I nod to him and apply a glamour to look like Dumbledore. He inspects me carefully. "Impressive Harry. Might I suggest the beard to be a little longer and maybe more white than silver?"

I remove the glamour and laugh at his comments. "I'll do better next time professor. Maybe in the future you can help me with any issues or questions I have on new spells I want to learn?"

"My door is always open to you."

"Thanks Professor. I have one request though. I need you to provide goblins access to the school. They need to evaluate the basilisk in the chamber and harvest its remains."

"Might I ask what you plan to do with that money?"

"I don't really care much about it Professor. I already have more than I'll ever want in my family vault. And I did tell my friends that it will be split evenly between the four of us."

"Four, Harry?"

"I think Ginny deserves something in return, don't you think?"

"I agree. Let me think about it and I'll get back to you in a few days."

"Then shall we proceed to the great hall? Dinner will commence shortly." I say to him in a very Dumbledorish voice.

He laughs at that. "Forgive me. I sometimes forget how hungry young children can be."

Fawkes goes back to his perch and we walk out of the room. I like to think that we formed a good connection today. Of a mentor and a student. He has many things he can teach me and Voldemort is not far away.

* * *

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AN: And here's chapter 5 guys. A little shorter than usual. But I thought it's a good place to stop. Next update will be sometime over the weekend. I'll try to put out at least 2 chapters every week. This year will not have any pairings. Thanks and please review. It always helps to hear the opinions of the others.


	6. Chapter 6

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 06**

Life went on at the castle with classes, Quidditch and personal training. Second day of classes started with the Daily Prophet displaying in large bold letters "Harry Potter accuses Crouch, says Godfather is innocent". That created a flurry of activity around the castle. Madame Bones did come by again a couple of days after the article to discuss my 'opinion' about the issue.

It seems that I did piss the minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge, something bad. I won't be surprised if I'm attacked legally in some way or the other. Let them come; I have quite a bit of legal knowledge floating in my head. I'm dying to put it to use.

One thing is clear though. If they find Sirius, he will get the kiss, trial or not. Fudge is not directly involved with Sirius' incarceration. But I think there are other factors, which are pushing him. The more I think about it the more I smell a Malfoy.

I contacted Brimspear to find out the Black family status, and he reluctantly passed on the information, as I'm the godson of Lord Black. It seems that, as Sirius doesn't have an heir, if he dies, the Black riches will go to the closest male descendent, which is Draco Malfoy the son of Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black.

I can't really allow that now can I?

I plan on putting as much pressure as I can on the ministry. There is nothing they can legally do to me. As a godson I have the right to ask for a trial for my godfather. If I was just the boy-who-lived, they might have attacked me through negative publicity calling me a crackpot. After all, it's been a long time since I got the hyphenated name. But with my new Quidditch star status, they wouldn't dare.

The classes have been easy as expected. The first charm's class was rather funny, when Fillius jumped in excitement about my patronus. I performed it again on his request and gained 50 points for Gryffindor. Transfiguration was interesting. Not the class itself, but Hermione's reaction. For the first time I was able to out perform her turning the beetle into a button on my first try. Do I sense jealousy there? It doesn't really matter to me. She needs to learn to let go of these petty feelings. She plays to her strength of having an off the chart IQ and I'm playing to mine of having over 70 years worth of memories.

Potions, as usual was frustrating. I think I'll improve my occlumency skills more than my potions skills. With Snape trying to get into my mind and insulting my father whenever he could, I was surprised with myself, that I didn't curse him in to slimy goo.

Defense was entertaining. Our first lesson was a Boggart. Seeing what other people fear the most was funny. Especially Ron's spider. After last year, I think I can see why. When my turn came, Remus decided to step in and finish the lesson. As the class left for the day, Remus asked me to stay behind.

"You must be wondering why I didn't let you try the Boggart?"

"That thought did cross my mind."

"To be honest, Harry, you faced a lot more monsters than anyone your age and I didn't want a Boggart Voldemort or a basilisk to terrorize the class. Do you want to try now?"

I shrug. "Sure". Knowing what you fear the most can be enlightening.

I stand before the cupboard and Remus spells open the door. I wait for a few moments, before I see something so surprising that I nearly dropped my wand.

I see myself, a lot older with grey hair, very tired, sitting behind a desk doing endless amounts of paperwork. Huh.

I raise my wand and "_Riddikulus_". The boggart changes to me sitting astride a broom. I smirk at it and then push it into the cupboard and close the door.

I look at Remus to see him gawking at me. "Off all the things you saw and did, that's what you are afraid of most? You sitting behind a desk of paperwork?"

I shrug at him with a smile. "Makes sense. I guess I'm afraid of living a boring life all alone, when all I want is to have adventures and fun with people I like and maybe love."

Remus smiles in amusement. "You are full of surprises, Harry."

"You don't know half of it, Remus." I mutter back.

I leave the class to see Hermione and Ron waiting for me.

"What's up mate?"

"Nothing guys, he just wanted me take on the boggart alone." I explain to them what happened and they share Remus' astonishment and amusement.

We enter the great hall for dinner. In the middle of it, Hermione leans into me. "Harry, can you teach us tomorrow?"

Tomorrow is Saturday. "Sure Hermione. I'll be back from Quidditch training at 4. How about after dinner for a couple of hours before curfew starts?"

She agrees to that, as does Ron, though less enthusiastically. We pass on the news to Neville and Ginny.

* * *

After dinner on Saturday we meet in an empty classroom on the third floor corridor. I asked Dobby to find a room at least twice as big as my expanded room back on privet drive and he found a room nearly half the size of the great hall, which is at least 10 times the size of my room. He also arranged some chairs and tables for us to use. I really love that little elf.

Ginny also brought Luna with her after asking me. I was fine with it.

I look at the 5 students sitting before me and I see something unique in each of them. Hermione, extraordinarily intelligent. Ron, a brave strategist. Ginny, cunning and gifted like myself with knowledge. Neville, a green thumb if there ever was one and loyal.

Even though all 4 of them are in Gryffindor, I see a Ravenclaw, a Gryffindor, a Slytherin and a Huffelpuff. Then there is Luna. She is quite unique and extraordinary in her own way and I really don't know any better way to say it.

I take out 5 parchments and give them one each. It basically has the list of things I studied during summer. Hermione looks flustered.

"Harry, you couldn't have learned all this in 1 month? It's not possible?"

I raise an eyebrow at her and smirk. "I assure you Hermione, it's quite possible."

As she opens her mouth to argue, I raise me hand to silence her. "Let me prove it to you."

I removed the wand from my holster and transfigured an empty chair into a Lion. They look astounded at that except for Ginny who looks like she expected it.

Hermione looks like she's about to either punch me or pull out her hair.

I made the lion roar and they all jumped in their seats. I laugh at their reactions and transfigure the lion back to a chair. Thank god I put a silencing charm before we started.

Ron has a goofy smile on his face. "I can't wait to see Malfoy's reaction to a lion roaming around."

I smile at a typical Ron's comment. "It's all good for fun and games Ron, but what you see on that list is what you need to learn if you want to get out and have some real fun safely."

They all stare at me not comprehending what I mean by that statement.

"Don't you guys ever want to go and explore the world? I mean there are so many things we don't know anything about. So many mysteries, so much magic and countless riches. All waiting to be found. There is a world of adventure out there guys. I was never able to go and enjoy other places because of my damned relatives. But I decided to change that this summer. I'm going to explore that world. But to that, I needed to learn to survive out there, where all you can depend on are your skills and your wits. Each of you has the power to achieve this and a lot more. So are you with me?"

They all nod their heads absently, each in their own world, even Hermione. I clap my hands hard to bring their focus back to me.

"Alright. Before we get started, I need to tell you the couple of reasons why I was able to learn so fast." Not all the reasons of course.

"First is my wand. As I told you, my old wand wasn't working for me after the chamber incident and so I got a new one. This is much better match for me and I blood bonded with it." I get no reaction from anyone. Not even Ginny.

"I see none of you know what it means?"

Hermione answers tentatively. "Is it some kind of blood magic, Harry?"

I nod to her. "Yes, Hermione. It's a sort of blood magic used in the days of old to bond ones wand to their magic." I pause to take a breather.

"Do any of you know where the magic we do comes from?" I expected Hermione to know something about it.

She gets into her professor mode. "The introduction to magic said every witch and wizard have a magical core within them."

I nod to her. "Yes, it's true. But where is this core and how does it work with a wand?"

She looks stricken. She doesn't know the answer.

"Don't worry Hermione, only a handful really do and they are the most accomplished wizards and witches of our world. Every wizard and witch has a core like you said. But it's not some golden ball, which lies within a human body. The magical core is inherently connected with the 3 primary essences of a human being. The mind. The body. And the soul."

I look around to see a lot of confused faces. "Ok let me put it this way. Every human being has all the three essences. Mind, body and soul. Muggles have just that, whereas wizards and witches have one other essence, magic. Mind, body, soul and magic. They are all interconnected with each other."

They all nod at that. "Magic comes from within our very being. The body has magic. The mind has magic and the soul has magic within it. And that leads me back to wands. When you hold your wand, it connects with your magic through your body, through your skin and just that. But when you use your blood to bond with the wand, it is more connected with you. In fact it will not work for anyone else. Disarming or a summoning charms won't work on it as long as you hold it and are conscious. Now I just talked about how the body and magic are connected. How about the mind? How is it connected with magic?"

"Intention. Our desire for a result." Answers Ginny.

"You are absolutely correct, Ginny. How about the soul?"

No one answers. I nod at their lack of response. "We don't use the magic connected to our soul very often. In fact we only use it for some of the more powerful magics. Like the Patronus and the unforgivables. So I ask again. What connects our spells to our soul?"

I get the answer from Luna. "Emotion."

I smile at her. "50 points to Ravenclaw. Emotion. A truly powerful force when it comes to magic. Now what are the two primary forces of emotion in this universe? Love and Hate. Hate is used for such curses as the unforgivables and love for patronus. You can use emotion for any spell you want and it will only increase the power of that spell, though you might find yourself emotionally drained if you keep doing it. But the unforgivables and the patronus are some of those spells which cannot be done without emotion and as such they do not need wand moment."

I go on and tell them about the wand moments and why they are needed to weave magic for the desired result.

"Remember, wand moments are necessary when you want to conserve power. But if you are in a tight spot, use emotion. Bring up the love of a person you need to save or the hate for the person you want to harm and the spell will be quite powerful, even if a little draining."

"Why haven't anyone told us this, Harry?" asks Neville.

"It's the ministry, Neville. They don't want the wizards and witches to be more powerful than them. They have removed a lot of such knowledge in past few centuries."

"How do you know this, Harry?" asks Ginny.

I smirk at her and lie through my ass. "In the first week of our holidays, I visited my family vault for the first time. There are quite a few very old family books in it."

Hermione gets a glint in her eyes. "Can I read them, Harry?"

I smile sadly at her. "I'm sorry, Hermione. They are family books. And only someone of Potter blood can read them."

She looks disappointed, but nods.

"Right, so you guys should blood bond with your wands as well. But before you do that, do all of you have your own wands? I know Ron, Ginny and Hermione do. What about you Neville and Luna?"

Luna takes out her wand. "9 inches, black wood and hippogriff feather."

Neville looks down at his feet. "I… I don't have my wand Harry. I'm using my fathers."

"Your father's, Neville?"

That's strange. I wonder what Longbottom senior is doing without it. "That won't do Neville. You really need your own wand." He nods without looking up at me. I'll deal with him later.

"So we covered the wand and how it draws the magic from us. We talked about what drives the magic and the power behind spells. And we talked about wand moments. Now lets talk about incantations and why you won't be using any while learning with me."

Ron interrupts my speech. "But Harry, how what about the spells? When do we get to create a lion?"

I sigh. "We will get to it next week, Ron. This is very important and will create the basis for all the magic you will learn in the future."

He nods, but still a bit put off.

I tell them about why incantations are not required and that we will be learning about it in our 6th year and why it's advantageous. They listen with rapt attention asking me questions here and there.

We finish with 30 minutes to curfew. I show them some of the spells I learned like, shields, conjuring, my patronus, and some transfiguration.

"I think that's it for today. We need to get back before curfew starts." They nod and stretch out on their chairs.

"But before we leave, it's time for homework."

"WHAT?" shouts Ron.

I smile at him. "I'm serious Ron. This will really help with your course work and also your future."

"But Harry…homework?"

Hermione slaps him on his hand. "Oh! Shut up Ron. I always help with your homework anyway."

He still grumbles.

"One foot each on the theory of magic you guys just learned and I want you to try at least 3 spells based on that theory and tell me the results."

I hand out one more parchment with Rune work on them. "I also want you to practice the runes on this sheet. You need these to blood bond with your wand. We will do that in a month."

As we leave the room, I stop Neville. "Neville can I have a word?"

He nods and stops. "What happened to your dad, Neville?"

"Wha… What do you mean Harry?"

"Neville, you said you are using your dad's wand…"

He fidgets and he tears up. "I'm sorry Neville. If you don't want to say anything, that's fine."

"It's alright Harry. I… I'm not too comfortable talking about them."

I nod and take a step to leave the room, when he stops me by holding my shoulder. "At the end of the last war, the Lestranges tortured my parents to insanity using the cruciatus. They are in the long term spell damage ward at Saint Mungos"

I place a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. "I'm sorry Neville. I didn't know."

I square my jaw. "But I promise you this, we will make them better."

He looks gratefully at me. "But you really need a new wand. I'll pay for it…" He opens to interrupt me, but I quickly stop him. "This is not a charity Neville. Think of it as a present from a friend."

He nods and we walk toward the common room. Before we step in he thanks me softly and goes up into the dormitory. I hope I can help him. I know I can help his parents. I'm not ready yet. But soon.

* * *

The weeks pass by. I continue my hectic schedule with 25 hours of Quidditch practice every week, classes and training my friends.

I continue my independent studies, mostly going through all the spells in Defence, Charms and Transfiguration in the 7 years and speed casting for developing magical muscle and for future dueling practice. When I have time or need a break I also experiment on magical theory through casting high powered spells using the different variations of the 4 essences, that is, magic, body and mind, magic, body and soul, and sometimes magic, mind and soul, which is wandless and very very exhausting. All I could do was lift a feather a few feet after a month of training and it was still tiring. The last thing I work on is wards, casting and breaking them, which I find very interesting. One can cast temporary wards with the wand or more durable wards using runes. I want to learn as much as possible, as wards really provide a great deal of protection.

We move into October. Sirius is still at large and I did one more interview at the stadium criticizing the ministry over their corrupt attitude. I dropped of the Basilisk fangs at Ollivanders on my way back to Hogwarts after training.

The school Quidditch season has started with team tryouts. As promised I gave Oliver my Nimbus. He had the selection on the first Saturday of October. I was out for my own training and wasn't there for it. But I was told Ginny got my job. I wasn't the only one surprised by that. The whole Weasley clan was floored to see her proves with the Nimbus.

I congratulate her, when I spied her alone in the common room and she asked me if she could talk to me alone after the spell practice today. I acceded to her wishes.

It's 3 weeks to the next match with Japan. It's also the day the 5 will blood bond with their wands. I asked Dobby to buy sufficient amount of Blood replenishes and Rune carving kits. Neville got his own wand soon after our first lesson. I gave him the money and he approached McGonagall who personally took him to buy his wand.

We all enter the room, which I decided to ward against detection as well as protect it with a password. I'm still not comfortable sharing the Room of Requirements secret with them as I use it often to relax from everyone and also for my private study.

"You guys ready to bond with your wands? Comfortable with the runes?"

They all answer "yes."

"All right." I give them each a vial of blood replinisher, a rune carving kit and lead holder for the blood and the wand.

They sit down cross-legged and get to work. Since they are not adding any cores, they will be etching the rune sets directly on the surface of the wand, not as good as inside the wand though. They finish their first set and put their wands in the lead holder. They cut their hands and pour blood into the holder until then wand is covered completely. It will take a few minutes for the wand and the core to absorb the blood.

I heal their wounds and they take the blood replenishner. Once the blood is absorbed, they carve the final runes, which will forever connect the wand to their blood.

I breathe out in relief when they are done with it. They look exhausted as well.

"Come on guys, why don't you try out a few spells before we call it a day. See how it responds."

They all get excellent results, much better than before. I fire a low power disarmer at Luna, who didn't expect it. She slides a couple of feet back, but doesn't loose the wand.

I smile at her. "Works perfectly."

She smiles back. "Thank you, Rupert."

I crack a smile at her.

As the rest of them leave the room, Ginny stays behind. I raise a few temporary privacy wards.

"Take a seat Ginny."

We both sit down facing each other.

"So what do you want to talk to me about?"

Ginny takes her time. "You said that you know what happened to me with the diary and that you could help me?"

I nod at her. "And you want to know how I knew it?"

She nods back. I smile softly at her.

"Tell me, Ginny… What do you think of the memories you got from Tom?"

She looks stunned for a moment and tightens the hold on her wand.

I raise a hand to put a stop to her thoughts. "I'm not and will never be your enemy Ginny, as long as you do not cause harm to me or to those I consider friends."

She nods and relaxes. She closes her eyes in thought. "At first I couldn't understand what they were, until I saw him making the diary." At this she opens her eyes and looks at me. "Do you know what it is?"

"The darkest of magics, a Horcrux."

She nods in acceptance. "Yes."

She breathes in heavily. "It was disgusting. And he made two of those."

I laugh at that. "How I wish, Ginny. How I wish that was true."

She looks at me questioningly. I raise 6 fingers to that and she pales considerably.

"Six… He made 6?"

"5 consciously, 1 accidentally." And I point to my scar.

"Harry…"

I raise my hand to stop her. "It was destroyed in the chamber."

Seeing her breath easy, I smile at her. "So you got the memories…?"

I nod. "All 66 years worth of them before his body was destroyed."

"So that's how you knew all this?"

I nod again. We stare at each other in silence.

"You haven't told me what you think of these memories?"

Ginny stares into the distance. "At first, I was overwhelmed, but after seeing the knowledge he gave me… I thought of it as a gift."

"Good. That's the only was to think of them. We take what we can from them and learn. There are many lessons to be learned from them. Not just knowledge. But so much more." I add softly thinking of the many memories I sorted.

Ginny nods back to this.

"So, how can I help you Ginny?"

She scowls at me in thought. "What should I do now, Harry? I mean I have enough knowledge in 9 different subjects to pass NEWTs and I just started my second year. It's so boring in classes. I don't want to practice in the open and have someone question me."

I sigh loudly at that. "There is so much more to magic than Voldemort or even Dumbledore knows of, Ginny. Both of us are somewhat fortunate in that, we have good starting points. We need to start there and expand beyond that."

She looks back morosely at me. I laugh at her. "Fine. How about this. Even though you have the knowledge, it doesn't mean you are expert at the spells. Do you agree?"

She nods "yes".

"Good. So use this room to practice the spells you know of. All of you have access to it. One of my goals this year is to become proficient in all spells up to the 7th year. Just doing a spell is not good enough, Ginny. You need to do it in a way that it takes very little effort from you."

I get up and raise my wand toward the empty chairs. I wave my wand in a continuous wave with a few flicks and swishes, transfiguring 5 of them into dogs similar to the one I found near #4.

"Right now, that's close to my limit. Maybe I can add a couple more. But that's it. Voldemort and Dumbledore can probably transfigure fifty of these with no effort. That's why they are masters of their art. The more you use a spell, the less effort it will take. The more you use your magic, the stronger it becomes."

Ginny nods at that statement, with a determined face. I smile back and look at my watch. "I think we need to go, Ginny. It's way past curfew."

"Oh! How are we going to get back without be caught?"

I look at her shrewdly. "How about I teach you a charm, which will help you sneak back to the common room?"

She smiles back, cheekily. "Alright, Potter."

I laugh. "It's the disillusionment charm, which if performed right, can make you invisible."

I perform it on myself to show it to her. I look down and I can see that it is stronger than it was in the summer. There's still a faint outline, but better.

"See how there is still a faint outline? That's because it's not perfect yet."

I teach her the charm, which of course is beyond NEWT and not taught at Hogwarts. It's no wonder though. Imagine all the pranks and some not so pranks if the students can walk around invisible.

Before we leave the room, I stop her. "Ginny, I think we should take an oath not to spill any of what we learned of each other today."

"I agree, Harry. How should we frame it?"

I think about it for a while. "How about… I agree to not reveal any of the information shared between us as long as he or she never joins Voldemort willingly or unwillingly?"

She thinks about it. "We should add a clause about revealing with the other person's acceptance."

I agree and go first.

"I Harry James Potter, swear on my magic and life that I will not share any information I learned today from Ginevra Molly Weasley, unless she gives me the permission to do so and as long as she never joins Voldemort willingly or unwillingly."

"So mote it be."

"I Ginevra Molly Weasley, swear on my magic and life that I will not share any information I learned today from Harry James Potter, unless he gives me the permission to do so and as long as he never joins Voldemort willingly or unwillingly."

"So mote it be."

We smile at each other, disillusion ourselves and leave the room.

­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

Halloween is just around the corner and the weekend before that was scheduled to be a Hogsmead weekend. An exciting time for the third years for whom this will be the first visit to the magical village.

As I was having my breakfast with my friends, Minerva walked up to me and asked me to follow her into the staff room. I scowled at that as I only had a couple of hours before I had to go to training.

And it turned out to be something I consider completely unnecessary. They, that is the staff, were afraid that I will be in danger from Sirius. I rolled my eyes at that.

"Professor, I don't think there is anything to worry about. I can assure you that I can take care of myself."

"Be as may that, Potter, you are not allowed to go to Hogsmead."

I narrow my eyes at her, clearly showing my irritation. "You don't have the right to stop me when I have a signed form from my legal guardians."

She follows me in thinning her lips to a thin line. "I assure you Mr. Potter, that I have that right as the deputy headmistress."

I control my anger and get up. "Fine."

I leave the room in a hurry. I smirk as I pass a couple of first years. We will see about stopping me. I walk back to the great hall and tell Ron and Hermione that I can't go and the reason for it. I asked them to get me some candy from Honeydukes.

As the students leave for the village and common rooms, I hide myself in a corner and disillusion myself and put a silencing charm around my feet. Hah!

As I near the great hall doors, I see the Weasley twins standing nearby looking at a parchment and glancing in my direction. They smile at each other, rather evilly and amber toward me.

As they near me, they whisper. "Harry, we know you are here. Show up now."

I was astounded by that observation. How in high heavens do they know I am here? Even if they could see the disillusioned glimmer, they shouldn't be able to see me. Hmmm…

I glance around to make sure that we are alone and remove the charm. "How did you find me?"

They each put an arm around me and drag me into a corridor with a one eyes witch. "We Harry, in your service for the Weasley family for saving our sister and in your service for our nation for playing the honorable game of Quidditch, want to present you with the secret of our success. But can you teach us the charm to make us invisible?"

"Huh!"

"As eloquent as ever, Harrykins?" They smile devilishly at me.

I laugh at them. "Fine guys. I will teach you the charm. It's called the Disillusionment charm. But if you are planning on using it for pranks, know that the headmaster can see through it."

"That's fine with us. Now, to our success…" George I think, opens the parchment and points his wands at it. "I solemnly swear that I am upto no good."

The parchment slowly reveals its secret and what a secret it is. It shows the entirety of Hogwarts with the different people inside it.

"Wow guys. This is incredible."

"We know Harrykins. We don't need it anymore after 4 years of using it. It's yours."

"Thanks guys. How did you find it?"

Fred pitches in on this. "Ahh… Harry what can we say… When we were young and innocent in our first year…" I snort at that. They smile at that. "Well more innocent than we are now, we were caught by Filch. He suddenly heard a bang and went out of his office to investigate. We looked through loot he confiscated and relived him of this treasure."

I smiled broadly at that. "Thanks again guys. How about I teach you're the charm this evening?"

"That will be well appreciated Harrykins."

I wait until they leave me and I activate me mage sight charm on my glasses. I stare at the complex series of charms, runes and arthemancy, which went into it. What a complex piece of work. This is indeed a treasure. Whoever created this must be genius. I see a secret tunnel leading out of the castle from the one-eyed witch and walk toward it. The map even shows the password to open the secret passage.

­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

I walk around Hogsmead disillusioned, which I must say is much more comfortable than the invisibility cloak. As Hermione and Ron step out of Honeydukes, I follow behind them. As they walk toward Three Broomsticks, I poke Hermione on the shoulder. She turns around to find no one. She swats Ron on the shoulder.

"Hey, what was that for?"

"For poking me."

"I did not."

She sniffs loudly and turns away with Ron mumbling about girls being mental.

A few seconds later, I poke Ron. "Hermione, will you stop that."

She scowls at him. "What?"

"You poked me."

"I did no such thing. Stop being immature Ron."

I bite my fist in order to stop myself from laughing. Ron is getting red on his face. I better stop him before he explodes.

I lay my invisible hands on both their shoulder and whisper. "Hey guys."

"HARRY."

"Keep it down, Hermione."

"Bloody hell mate. You scared me."

I laugh. "Well, that was the purpose."

Hermione hits my invisible hand. "I guess it you who poked me and Ron."

"Yep."

Ron smiles triumphantly at that. "Ah! I told you it wasn't me."

After a brief stint at the pub we walk toward Shrieking Shack. As we study it, I hear footsteps and turn around to see Malfoy and his 2 goons walking up to us with a smirk.

Ahhh. Time to put some of my new found knowledge to use.

"Hey guys, look who's coming. Don't do anything. I will take care of him." I whisper to them.

The 3 Slytherins reach us and I slip behind them.

"Well if it isn't Weasel and Mudblood. Where's your friend scarface? Oh! That's right, he is not allowed to come."

I point my wand at the snow lying at his feet. It starts to form into a shape, to be more precise, a human shape. Hermione's eyes bug out at seeing my snow golem construction. One of the more difficult spells to perform with a combination of transfiguration and charms. This is the first time I'm performing it.

Malfoy scowls at my friend's inattention to him and turns around to see the Golem smirking at him. As he stares at it stunned, I make it punch him in the stomach. As Malfoy doubles over the Golem collapses. Ron bursts out laughing.

Goyle and Crabbe stare at Malfoy stunned. He sneers at them. "Don't stand there like idiots, get them."

As they move toward Ron and Hermione, they take out their wands and transfigure two rocks into dogs.

It's a pretty funny sight to see the three of them being chased by dogs. As we are finally alone, I drop the disillusionment.

Hermione looks at my direction and scowls. "That's a very complex spell, Harry."

"I know, that was the first time I did it and you saw the result."

"But you shouldn't even be able to do that."

I think I'm seeing a bit of her jealous streak here. "Know this Hermione. I approach magic with a single principle. Magic has no boundaries except for those we create."

"That's a very dangerous way of thinking, Harry."

I shrug. "To each their own Hermione."

"Leave him alone, Hermione. Look at what we were able to do Malfoy. Next time I'm going for a lion."

I smirk at him as Hermione rolls her eyes. "Alright guys, I need to go now. Training."

As I hurry toward Hogwarts, I hear a sound and see the Dog from Privet drive trotting into the forest. Hmm… Strange coincidence. Or is it?

­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

And two days later it was Halloween. I came back from my practice late at night around 9 to find Minerva waiting for me in great tension.

"Professor?"

"Potter, Black broke into the Gryffindor tower, all the students are sleeping in the great hall today. Come with me."

"Hmmm… What are you up to Sirius?" I mumble to myself.

As I join my fellow Gryffindors, I get the whole store as how the fat lady identified Black and didn't allow him in and he slashed her portrait.

There is no doubt that my godfather tried to break-in, the question is why? Why indeed!

­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

AN: And here's chapter 6 guys. Sorry for the delay. Got caught up with work. I already started work on the 7th chapter, which will most probably lead to the end of third year. Please Review.


	7. Chapter 7

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 07**

I stepped out from Minerva's fireplace to see a rare smile upon on her face.

"Good job, Harry." She dabs at her eyes. "I wish your parents were here to see you. They would be very proud."

That's the first time she called me by my first name and talked about my parents. Yeah, I wish they were here too. I respond with a smile.

"Thanks Professor."

She walks with me to the common room. I guess some silly precaution or something. I am too tired to argue about it.

As I step into the common room, a wave of applause goes up. It seems the entire Gryffindor house followed the match on the wizarding wireless, which Lee managed to smuggle in. Our head of house doesn't comment about it and leaves as the students start to celebrate. The twins smuggled in a few items from Hogsmead including a large case of butter bears.

I settle down on a nearby couch with a butter bear in hand. Even though I am quite tisred I wanted to spend some time among my friends and housemates. Among a few pats on the back they asked a few questions on how the match went by. As predicted the match against Japan was considerably easy than the one against Luxemburg. We won 350 to 50, a considerable margin considering that it's the world cup.

Angelina settles down nearby. "Harry, how would you compare the school games with the internationals?"

"Well… being a seaker, the job is about the same, except you have a faster impossible to predict snitch and the bludgers move as if they have their own minds. The biggest difference is with the chasers. They zip about the ground and on average the score is about 500 or more for the winning team. Faster reflexes, more strength and a fearless attitude Angelina. That's what you need to be a chaser in the national squad." And its true.

The talk progresses on to getting tickets for the matches. I tell them that I can get the tickets if England makes it into the Quarters and above. But they still need to get permission from the school and their parents to see the matches as both the Quarters and the Semis are during the school year and outside the country.

I look around to see Hermione hunched over a pile of books. She wished me and went back to her studies. She's taking more subjects than anyone in the school. Even attending 3 classes at the same time. I wonder how she does that. She couldn't possibly have a time turner. I did hear from Ron that she dropped out of Divinition. She is clearly stressed.

I glance at Ron. "Did she have anything to eat?"

"Yeah mate, but I had to force her to come down for dinner. She keeps complaining about having to read 400 pages before the end of the week."

I think I will leave it to her to learn whatever lesson she will get out of it.

* * *

Over the next few days I spent sometime with Remus. He tells me about my parents and what they used to do. Dad was an Auror and Mom just got into the department of mysteries before she got pregnant with me. I try to talk about Sirius, but he kept changing the topic. I can understand why, but I still wish he would tell me something about him.

I can't think of any reason why he would break into the Gryffindor tower, unless it has something to do with me. I can think of many ways to contact me other than by slashing through the portrait. The ministry are using this to portray him as a crazy lunatic who needs to be put down. Fudge is calling me a confounded young lad who doesn't know the truth. Of course he is subtle about any comments. I am sure if we are to lose a match, the comments would turn into accusations.

Our next match is with Transylvania in 6 weeks time. The training has become brutal with the coach stressing on the fact that we need to win this match and Transylvania is one the best teams in the league after Argentina, Brazil and the Irish.

Today is the day of the first match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. The weather is anything but suitable as a thunderstorm rages on. I sit down with Ron and watch as the teams take their place. Slytherin tried to get out of the match, but without a suitable reason, they weren't allowed to.

It was a very trying match, what with the weather and Slytherin's brutal tactics. The match was even paused for a while as the Dementors got into the grounds. All the players took to the ground as Dumbledore drove the Dementors away with his Patronus. I was about to cast my own patronus, but it wasn't needed. Ginny went on to catch the snitch and win the match comfortably for Gryffindor. We had a small party to celebrate the win.

The next day as I was sitting in the common room going through a particularly interesting ward scheme from the book I bought in Venice, Ron came down shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Look what I found."

I turn around to see him screaming at Hermione. He's holding a cloth with blood and orange fur on it. Ah oh!

"Look. Your bloody cat ate Scabbers."

Hermione narrows her eyes at that. "No it did not. I told Crookshanks not to touch it."

"It bloody well did."

The entire common room is caught up in the drama. I slap Ron on the back.

"What are you on about, mate. You hated Scabbers anyway. This is a good excuse to buy yourself a pet you like."

I lean forward and whisper. "Remember you have the 100,000 from the Basilisk."

Ron's eyes glow in sudden realization and he walks away mumbling something about "Buying an animal which will eat the cat."

It reminds me of the letter I got from Dumbledore the other day. He agreed to allow the Goblins into the chamber during the Christmas vacation. I need to check the chamber thoroughly to make sure there's nothing in there, which can be confiscated by Dumbledore.

Hermione gives me a brief hug with tears in her eyes. She seems unusually emotional.

I pat her on her back. "I think you are stressing yourself, Hermione. Why not drop Muggle Studies, you don't need it."

"Oh! Don't worry Harry. I am fine. I can't drop the class. How can I compete if I keep dropping classes? I already dropped Divinition. And you are so far ahead of me in nearly every subject. How you acquired so much knowledge over the summer I don't know Harry. I know you are keeping some secrets." The last sentence came out more as an accusation.

I smile at her. "You are far more intelligent than I will ever be. I think you need to sit back and think back on what your motives are. Studying just for higher marks or to compete I think would only help you to a certain extent. Instead of believing and memorizing the books, think about the whys and whats. Why does a spell act the way it does. The very concept of magic. When you grasp that, I think you will find a new way of looking at magic."

She looks at me for a long moment, nods and then goes back to her books.

I sigh in my mind, a little exasperated. I guess some habits are hard to let go.

I pick up my bag and walk out of the common room heading for the room of requirements. It's time for my own studies.

After nearly 3 months and nearly 200 hours of practice, I am moving on to NEWT spells in Defence, Charms and Transfiguration. It will probably take me until April or May to be proficient in those. My speed casting has improved as well. I can cast the stinging hex 50 times a minute and for nearly 5 minutes before I get slightly tired. Starting next year, I will be able to focus on chain casting, as well as practice the different battle spells… Deadly spells, which do not need too much of emotion or soul magic behind them. Soul magic is very powerful. But at the same time, if used in the wrong way can lead you down a path of hate and self destruction. I rather stick to those spells, which require just the intention of say breaking a bone or piercing a hole.

I also made considerably progress in the past month on the wandless levitation. I can now levitate myself about a foot for a minute before I get tired. Wandless summoning is very weak for now. My goal is to be able to perform these 2 for at least 5 minutes without getting tired by end of this year. Next year I can concentrate on strengthening them more and also get proficient in wandless banishing. Once I get that down, I will start work on the Animagus ritual.

I am also working on three rune schemes. One is completed. A strong privacy and protection ward around my bed, which will prevent anyone from hearing anything or opening the curtains once they are closed, unless their magical signature is keyed to it. I wanted some privacy, especially when I start working on my new projects.

The second is almost done. And it's a ward, which will help me with the Sirius situation. The third rune scheme is the most complicated one yet and has to do with dimensional spaces. The book I bought in Venice is about creating dimensional spaces in trunks or other solid structures. What I am working on is a rune scheme, which will create a dimensional pocket in free space and is tied to a magical signature at all time. The uses for such a pocket are incredible. You can carry anything and everything you want with you at anytime without any restriction for space. A very exciting prospect.

* * *

As the next match and our final group match with Transylvania closes in everyday, the tension within the team sky rockets. Argentina is through to the quarters. Luxemberg is out. If England wins the next match, it will equal Transylvania in points and we play a decider. Who ever wins that match goes through to the quarters. Nearly 30 hours of training every week, including running and weights has made a huge difference to my body. I have never been this fit before. I grew a couple of inches since summer and put on a decent bit of muscle.

On Christmas day I woke up to Ron's joyous scream about opening presents. I close my eyes remembering the Christmas of my first year at Hogwarts when I was surprised that I got presents. Things have changed quite a bit since then.

I open my presents to find a broom care kit from Hermione, the traditional sweater from the Weasley family matriarch and the box of chocolates from Ron. All three expected and well appreciated. They know me well enough I guess. There are 4 more presents. I pick up a small rectangular present and open it to find a rune box for storing rune stones from Ginny. Nice. Luna gave me a subscription to the Quibber. I smile at that. The second but last present is from the Longbottom Heir. A variety of herbs and plants, which are used in different potions. They will be very useful for some of the potions we have to do next year. I thank them all for their presents. I myself gave everyone a Dragon hide wand holster.

I look at the final unopened present. It's a small palm sized rectangular trunk. I set it on the floor and enlarge it. I open it to find 5 large and very old tomes. Among the tomes is a letter.

I open it to find that it's a letter from my Godfather.

_Harry,_

_I don't know how you knew I was innocent, but thanks for believing in me. I will catch the real traitor, I promise._

_I saw you on the hogsmead weekend when you created that snow golem. Your father would have patted you on the back and have said Good Show for punching a foul mouthed Malfoy. Your mother would have grounded you, and bragged about your knowledge and power. James was special when it came to transfiguration, as was Lily when it came to charms. But I doubt either could have pulled a golem in their 3__rd__ year. Brilliant work._

_Good luck with your next match._

_I wish I were there to see you grow up._

_A proud godfather,_

_Sirius_

I set the letter aside and pick up the tomes. These are some of the oldest books I have seen, even with Voldemort's memories. Some are as old as 1800 years, with the earliest publication being 700 years back. 3 of them are written in Latin, while the other two in old English. I can understand the Latin and old English thanks to my new memories. The oldest book is on using ambient magic or wild magic to control nature to a certain extent. One book is on elemental magics, the other three are on Transfiguration, Charms and battle magics.

I stare at the books stunned to even think clearly. How did he get these books? They would have cost a fortune. I don't know how much of these even Voldemort knows. I get a glint in my eyes thinking of what I would find in here.

"Harry, what are those books?" I look up to find Hermione staring at the books.

I explain what they are and who sent them to me. She reads the letter and looks up at me.

She looks fluttered. "Are you sure, they are not cursed Harry? Maybe you should let a professor look at them first."

I stare at her seriously. "They are not cursed, Hermione. As I told you before, I believe Sirius to be innocent. And no I am not going to let a professor look at them."

She looks at me shrewdly. "But how can you be so sure Harry? Is this one of your secrets?"

Ron pitches in. "What secret?"

I roll my eyes. "Nothing Ron."

He shrugs. "Leave him alone Hermione. Who in their right mind will curse a book?"

Ginny hits him on the head. "Did you forget last year?"

Ron goes red and mumbles something.

I blow air. "Look guys, how about I run a diagnostic? It's pretty thorough and should point out any magic within the books."

Hermione and the rest agree.

I do the same and the only magic I can find is a permanent upkeep charm woven into the books to make sure age doesn't affect them.

Hermione looks nervously at me as she shuffles around while glancing at the books. I laugh and hug her. "Don't worry, I will let you read them once I am done. Okay?"

She smiles. "Thanks, Harry."

I look around at my 5 friends, even Luna who is celebrating in the Gryffindor tower. They have made good progress on the spells I have thought them. The don't have the same level dedication I or for the fact Ginny has. And I can understand why. I and Ginny have an advantage on them with the memories, but we also understand the level of evil, which can come back any day. In a way we have matured more than them. But they will see it as well.

The next day I walk toward Headmaster's chambers as it's the day the Goblins are supposed to come for the salvaging the Basilisk. I am also excited about finally getting the pensieve I ordered. It a brand new one and took a pretty big chunk, 42,000 to be exact, out of my vault.

The headmaster, Snape and the 6 of us head down to the second floor bathroom with 5 Goblins. Brimspear is part of the team and gave me a box, which I presume has the pensieve in it before we departed the Headmaster's office. I gave it to Dobby and asked him to take it to my dorm and put it in on my bed. Dumbledore looked at me, hoping I would explain. But I smiled and left it at that.

"_Open"_ I hiss at the sink in the Myrtle's toilet. The sink slides down and I hiss _"Stairs"__._ And the pipe turns into stairs. This is one of the thing I discovered a few days back when I went to retrieve the remaining Slytherin books.

The party of 13 steps down into the chamber. I cleaned it up a bit. We reach the second door and enter it. And there lies the Basilisk. Except for Ginny and I, no one else has seen it. As such, there are many surprised exclamations on seeing it.

Ron summarizes their reactions succinctly. "Bloody Hell."

I glance at Ginny to see how she's doing. She's a bit pale, but does have a determined expression. Good for her.

We approach the Basilisk and the Goblins get to work dissecting it. I decided to buy part of the skin for myself for body armor. Much stronger than Dragon hide.

"You killed that Potter?" I look up to see Snape standing beside me. This is probably the only time I heard him using a civil tone while talking to me.

I smirk at him. "With a sword."

He scowls at me and looks back at the Basilisk. "Such rare ingredients…"

Hmmm… "You know, professor, I can keep the eyes for my share... Only the outer membrane has been destroyed. It can still be used, in say the eye correction potion."

A look of surprise passes over his mask, before he looks down at me. "And prey tell, how you know of such an ancient potion?"

"Oh! I have my sources. Haven't you seen a marked improvement in my potion making skills? I have been reading quite a bit."

He thinks about it. "Very well, Potter. You give me one eye and I will make you the potion with the other."

As I expected. I nod my acceptance. "With one condition. I want your oath that, it will not be used for the benefit of any death eaters or Voldemort himself."

He flinches at the Dark lord's name and sneers at me. But finally agrees as well.

I have a word with Brimspear about what I want to keep of the Basilisk. He tells me that it comes to approximately 120,000 galleons. I tell him to remove the 20,000 from my vault and divide it among the other three.

I look around to see my friends staring at the salvage operation in fascination, even though some are a little green. I follow Dumbledore as he heads into the Basilisk inner chamber, probably to see what's left in it.

I follow him inside and we stand in a room with enough space for a couple of bookshelves, a table, couple of chairs and for the Basilisk to sleep in.

"Interesting isn't it, professor. I would say we found a source for some of Tom's knowledge."

He removes his wand and mutters a couple of spells. I think diagnostic and reveling charms. "I would say so, Harry."

He turns around and stares at me, with his wand back in his sleeve. He sits at the table and directs me to sit as well.

"It's a common practice to have regular staff meetings during the school year, Harry. Mostly to discuss any pending issues. But we also cover the performance of students and your name has come up consistently."

"Even Snape?"

"Professor Snape, Harry. And yes he did comment about how you are not being such a dunderhead anymore. Quite a praise if I say so myself."

I laugh at that. "What can I say professor? I did read and practice quite a bit over the summer and I have been doing the same the past few months."

He nods at that. "And how far have you progressed?"

"By the end of this year, I can take NEWT's in Defence, Transfiguration and Charms and get O's in all of them." I didn't tell him that I could take them now and still get O's. But it doesn't mean I am perfect.

"Is that what you want to do?"

"No. The fewer people who know about it, the better."

"I agree. But if you permit an old man's curiosity, why the sudden haste in your studies? I didn't take you for someone who is as studious as you are now."

I think its time to give him a part of the truth. "After the chamber incident, I felt more free than I ever was before. It's like a part of me which was being blocked, was released."

He sits up suddenly and waves his wand in an intricate fashion around my scar. I don't know the spell he used, but I can understand the reason behind it. I raise my eyebrows in surprise and look at him. He nods asking me to continue.

"Well… I feel different professor. I was living a non-existent life at the Dursleys for the first 11 years. They never took me on any holidays. I never traveled beyond the borders of Little Winging until my eleventh birthday. And then Hagrid came and showed me this wonderful hidden world. The last two years were… memorable. But now… Now I want more."

I take a breather. I remove my wand and wave it across a couple of pebbles lying on the ground. They expand and become a wolf and a lion.

"I have a thirst for knowledge. For adventure. There is so much more to magic I want to learn. I want to explore the world. I am young. I have the strength. I have a load of galleons sitting inside my family vault, which I will have access to in about 2 years or so. I have the means. But what I lack is the knowledge."

Dumbledore looks a little disturbed but nods sagely at me. "Ahh… Adventure. Take the advice of an old man who followed the same path, Harry. Life in itself is a great adventure. Every day you spend can be one. But I can also understand the exuberance of youth. But take heed, Harry. When you explore the world, you will come across many unsavory magics, which at first glance might seem powerful. They are undoubtedly. But they are also addictive and can lead you down the same path the result of which gave you that scar."

I understand where he's coming from. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. To a certain extent, even Dumbledore is not an exception to that rule.

"I am still Harry professor. I will always be just Harry."

He smiles at that. "I know dear boy. Forgive an old man's over cautious nature."

I reach out and pat his hand. "I appreciate it professor. I always viewed you as crazy old grandfather who looks after his many grand children."

"Thank you my boy. There's no greater compliment to me."

The moment passes and he nods toward my transfigured animals. "Excellent work, Harry. May I suggest that you share your knowledge with Minerva and Fillius? They will only help you further."

I nod and cancel the spell and the animals turn back into pebbles.

I smile cheekily at him. "And maybe one day soon, we can sit and talk about the different aspects of magic and maybe duel?"

He laughs. "I am an old man, Harry. But yes. I would like that."

As we reach the door he stops me by placing a hand on my shoulder.

"And maybe then, you will trust me enough to share your secrets?"

No one said Albus Dumbledore was an idiot. I nod and we walk out of the room.

­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

The match against Transylvania was brutal. We won, but just barely. 720 to 800. Without the snitch it would have been impossible. And I will be the first to state that there was a certain amount of luck involved. It's not everyday you find the snitch favoring your direction. At the end it was an easy catch. We tie each other at 3 wins each and will play again in 2 weeks. A match that will decide which team will go to the quarters.

The coach decided that we should keep up our regular practice, but avoid any brutal sessions. The next 2 weeks will be dedicated to a new strategy, as they now know how we approach the game.

I'm too tired to take part in any celebrations. I drag myself to bed and skip into the dreamland quite happily.

I wake up to the feeling my wand vibrating. I look at the time to see it's 4 in the morning. What do we have here?

I open my curtains to make sure everyone's asleep and I move out of the dorm quietly. I step into the common room to find Sirius frozen with a look of surprise on his face. This was one of the rune schemes I was working on. It is a combination of three rune sets. The first rune set captures the magical signatures of everyone who passes the doorway into the common room. I allowed that to happen for a week before I added the second rune set. It compares the magical signature of anyone who enters the common room with the ones already collected. If they exist no action is taken, if they don't, it activates the next and final rune set. It's designed to freeze the person with the unmatched magical signature in a suspended animation. And that's what happened to Sirius.

As I step into the common room, his eyes meet mine and if they could, they would have widened in surprise.

I step in front of him and gaze up at him.

"Sirius Black, what a surprise."

I stun him and then I disable the rune scheme. I transfigure him into a lizard and put him in my pocket. Time to get some answers.

­­­­­­­­­­­

I sit on a sofa in the room of requirements. I turn Sirius back to his own self. I gaze at him for a few moments. He doesn't look like the half starved prisoner the posters depicted him as. In fact he looks decent. I enervate him.

He shakes of a wave of dizziness. "What… what happened?"

"Your godson happened."

He snaps his eyes open at that statement and stares at me in unflinching gaze. He whispers, "Harry… It's really you?"

"It's really me, Sirius."

"It has been so long. The last I saw you was when Hagrid took you from your house. You like James, but you have Lily's eyes."

"I know, Sirius." I reply not too unkindly.

"I am innocent, Harry. I didn't betray your parents."

"I know that as well, Sirius. It was Peter. He was the secret keeper."

He looks surprised. "How… How do you know that?"

"I have my secrets. As I said, I know you are not the secret keeper. But what happened the day you cornered Peter… That I don't know."

He laughs out loud at that, a little insanity in it. "Little Peter with his chubby cheeks and stuttering voice pulled one over the whole wizarding world. The little bastard accused me of being the traitor and blew up the street. HE SET ME UP."

"So it wasn't you? Then, why the hell didn't you say anything while they carted you off to Azkaban? You were an Auror, you must have friends in them?"

"At first it was shock, Harry. I didn't yet morn your parents. James was my brother in everything but blood. And then when I finally realized what happened, it was too late. I was already in my cell and my pleading fell on deaf ears."

"So why now, Sirius? Why after 12 years?"

He removes a paper clipping from his pocket and shows it to me. It's the clipping of the Weasleys winning the lottery. I don't get it. What of it?

"I recognized him at once. How many times did I see him changing into the rat, Wormtail…" He's lost in his thoughts and I gaze down at the picture again.

Scabbers. Peter Pettigrew. I never realized it. He only showed Voldemort his form once to show how useful he can be.

"An animagus…"

That brings Sirius out from his memories. "Yes, like me and James. I am a dog and James… James was a stag. Prongs…"

"Show me Sirius."

And he changes into his dog form. I recognize him. The same dog from Privet drive. He changes back.

I process this information in my mind. "Has Dobby been feeding you?"

He smiles sheepishly and nods. I laugh at this.

"Now what Sirius? Scabbers might be dead…"

He pales at that. "What? How?"

"I am not too sure, Hermione, one of my friends, has a half Kneazle who might have had him for lunch…"

"Is that the orange colored one?"

"Yeah…"

"Then, it didn't eat him. I befriended it and asked him to get Peter for me. It was trying all year round."

"So he's still at Hogwarts?"

"I know he's at Hogwarts. He's too much of a coward to move away from it."

"So you plan to capture him?"

"Capture…NO. I plan on killing him."

I look at him as if he has lost his mind. And maybe he did… "Don't be stupid man. We capture him and secure your freedom. It's more important than your damned need for revenge."

"But…"

"No buts Sirius. We capture him and that's it. You said in your letter than you wished you saw me grow up, do you still wish it?"

He gets a glint in his eyes at that and smiles softly at me. "You are your parents son in more than your looks Harry."

"Maybe you can tell me about them, when you are free?"

"Oh! I can tell you so many stories… There were many good times." And there he goes back into his memories.

"Dobby."

The little elf pops in. "What can Dobby do for you, Harry Potter sir?"

He glances at Sirius and smiles shyly at me. I roll my eyes at his actions. Crazy elf.

"Dobby listen. Sirius will stay in this room. He's not to leave it. Make sure of it."

Sirius snorts at the statement. I ignore him. "Get him as much food as he wants."

Dobby nods at that. He's doing that anyways.

"Can you also get me the pensieve from my trunk?"

Dobby pops away.

"Pensieve, Harry? Aren't they rather expensive?"

"They are. But they can be dead useful." I already put it to good use destroying quite a few of Voldemort's memories. I kept nearly all the duels he was involved in. Especially those with Dumbledore and some good Auror's like Moody as well as the training he took to be able to duel like that. The rest were nothing but mindless slaughter and some not so mindless killings. I also kept most of his death eater strategy meetings for future reference.

I stare at my godfather for a moment. "Thanks for the books, Sirius."

He waves away the thanks. "Think nothing of it, Harry. They are some of the books in the Black family vault. They were just gathering dust."

He laughs again. Like a bark I think. "I never thought I would see a day when a 13 year old can produce a patronus, a golem and play international Quidditch."

I smile at that. He doesn't know half of it. "And you don't know the half of it."

He barks a laugh again. "So, what's your plan?"

"We play Transylvania again in 2 weeks time… This is what we are going to do."

* * *

I walk back to the common room, invisible and silent. I told Sirius what the Room of Requirements is and how it works. I suggested he place his troubling memories in the pensieve and get some physical exercise.

I enter my dorm to find my roommates sleeping soundly. It's nearly 6 in the morning. No use trying to sleep now. And I need to check a certain map. I recognized the names Wormtail and Prongs from my conversation with Sirius.

I open the map and point my wand to it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The map introduces itself with the names, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. I know Wormtail is Peter and Prongs is my dad. Padfoot has to be Sirius and Moony, Remus.

I sigh as I think about the plan. There are a few things, which need to happen for it to succeed. The most important being able to capture Peter. The other is winning the match. The ministry would be hard pressed to ruin the public reputation of a player who was part of the team, which will play the Quidditch world cup quarterfinal.

There are three main adversaries against Sirius.

Minister Fudge, who was an Obliviator and was part of the team, which captured Sirius. And in 2 years he became the minister of magic, with immense financial support from many families who fall under Lucius Malfoy. If this comes out, he will lose the public support and will not win the next election, which is due in a year's time.

Bartemius Crouch, the then head of DMLE. He authorized the incarceration of Sirius without a trial. He's looking to gain more support in time to bid for the ministry. That's not going to happen unless Sirius gets the kiss.

And finally, Lucius Malfoy. He is one of the richest wizards in Britain. But with the Black fortune, he will be untouchable. And that's not taking into consideration the kind of knowledge he will have at hand from the Black family vault and the library. Voldemort tried to get hold them, but the then Head of House, Orion Black, Sirius' father, declined saying that, even though he supports his views and ideals, he cannot share the knowledge of his house. Even through a memory I can feel his anger at being declined. He vowed to end the line of Black, even though only to himself. It will not do to have an Ancient pureblood family with anti-muggle views as his enemy.

The Black's were a unique family. Even though they supported many dark lords in the past, they were business minded. They never let any lord interfere with their family or business. Potter's are the exact opposite to that. They are well known to marry muggle borns and supported many wars against the dark lords over the centuries.

I know from Voldemort's memories that he expected the Potter's to be as rich as the Malfoys or the Blacks. There should be quite a bit more than 11 million galleons to support the view. I guess my family fortune dwindled over a period of time.

For Lucius Malfoy to get hold of the Black Family fortune, Sirius should die.

I sit back and close my eyes thinking of a plan to capture Peter. The map should help. But I can't keep looking for him in the map all the time and I don't trust Sirius to not go after Peter if he finds him on the map.

I look down at the map. I don't see Sirius in it. Probably because of the unplotable nature of the room he is in. I don't see the Chamber of secrets as well. That means there might be other places, which are not on the map. Peter must be hiding in one of these places as I don't see him on the map.

Hmm… That gives me an idea.

I walk out my dorm for the second time that night… err, day. I walk to an unused classroom, as I cannot use the RoR for the next couple of weeks.

After I close the door and raise proximity and privacy wards, I swish my wand, conjuring 4 snakes of the non-poisonous kind, but with venom powerful enough to paralyze a smaller animal. Perfect.

"_Do you understand me?_" I hiss to them.

They all answer in different variations of, _yes master_.

"_Good. I am going to make you invisible. I want you all to search the castle. You are looking for a rat with a toe missing. Can you recognize such a creature?"_

"_We can master. Can we eat it?"_

I am tempted to say yes. _"No, you may not. Capture it and bring it here. And do not attack anyone else."_

I disillusion and put a tracking charm on them. I direct them in different directions. That's the most I can do for now. I have to think of a better plan. I head for a run around the castle to clear my mind.

­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

It's been 11 days since I released the snakes. In the meantime I analyzed the map with some help from Sirius. They basically placed a combination of identification, tracking and communication runes in every room and hallway they came across. The runes identify the person based on what that person think of themselves as. Similar to how Owls operate. Once they identify, they communicate that to the map and show their actions within the identified spaces. Simple and ingenious.

I spotted him a couple of times when I was looking at the map. But by the time I got there, he was already gone and nowhere to be found on the map. Two of my 4 snakes have perished since then. After seeing their pulverized carcasses, I can only assume that Peter destroyed them. He has a wand with him.

I made Sirius a permanent portkey similar to mine, which will take him near his ancestral home at Grimmauld place. He gave me the rough location for it and I was able to grab the coordinates from a map. Sirius was quite surprised that I have the ability to create a permanent portkey. HA… Wait till he learns what else I did and can do.

The match is in 3 days time and we are yet to find Pettigrew. Sadly even with the knowledge I have, I cannot find any other way to track Peter. Maybe we need to postpone the plan? There is always the Quarterfinal in March. But it's a huge risk for Sirius to stay at Hogwarts till then.

I look down at the map spread out on my bed once again. I did add one new feature to the map. A name search based on voice command. I place my wand tip on the map.

"Show me Peter Pettigrew."

A red dot flashes briefly and I follow it to see a red dot on the traitor's name. Got him. I follow him a couple of seconds to identify where he is. Looks like on the third floor. I get out of the bed with the map and rush outside into the common room.

"Dobby."

"Yes, Harry Potter sir?"

"Peter's on the third floor, two hallways from the Charms classroom. Stay invisible and follow him, I'll be there as soon as I can."

He pops away and I run out of the room disillusioning myself. I conjure a snake in case I need it. I don't want him to escape me a third time.

I near the place where I last saw him on the map. I glance at the map to see him disappearing a few feet in front of him.

"Dobby, are you here?", I whisper.

He pops in and replies back in a whisper. "Yes, Harry Potter sir. The rat man went throughs the wall." He points to the wall in front of me.

I put the snake on the floor. _"Bite any rat, which you comes across."_

I activate the mage sight on my glasses to see some kind of magical barrier and a room behind it where the wall should be. I run my wand across the wall to identify any curses or wards it might have. It seems it's nothing but an illusion.

I turn off the mage sight and stare at the wall. What could be behind it?

I slowly walk in with my wand at the ready. I pass through the wall and enter a dimly lit room to see it empty. It has a passageway leading out of it and I follow it.

I walk on silent and invisible, stopping every few seconds to listen to any revealing sounds. The passageway ends in a well-lit circular room with symbols of the 4 founders in the four corners. There near the wall opposite to entrance, is a makeshift bed, probably conjured and a variety of food. Sitting on the bed, eating what looks like one of Hagrid's rock cakes is Peter. I silently erect a temporary ward preventing him from escaping. I remove the disillusionment charm.

Some might call me hypocritical. But seeing him sitting on the bed… I want my revenge. I breathe in loudly to calm myself.

Hearing that, Peter glances in my direction and freezes.

"Hello Peter."

He drops the cake and grabs his wand. _"Expelliarmus."_

I swerve out of the way and he shoots another spell. _"Reducto."_

I put up a shield to absolve the curse. I smirk at him. "Now now, Peter. Play nice."

"_Avada Kedavra."_

Blast that rodent. I dive out of the way.

I come up and touch my wand to floor. _"__Redimio matris terra"_ and I swish it toward Peter.

I feel dizzy at the level of power that rushes through me. It's one of the low level wild magic spells I learned recently. It took me nearly 3 weeks to learn this one spell.

As the invisible wave touches him, vines sprout from the stone floor and bind him from head to toe. Before he can transform into his animagus form, I hit him with a charm, which will prevent the transformation for the next few hours.

He struggles but the vines hold on tighter.

"Give up, Peter. The more you struggle, the more painful it will be. Like the Devil's Snare."

He is shaking from head to toe. "Harry, sweat Harry… You are just like your father…"

"Don't say another word or I will cut your head off."

"But Harry…" He struggles… "I betrayed your parents."

Huh! He looks panicked at that statement.

"Glad you agree, Peter."

"Sirius… Sirius wasn't the secret keeper."

Okay, what's going on here?

"I know."

"What… what are you doing to me?"

"I am doing nothing, Peter. You did it to yourself."

He struggles and I let him for a few minutes just for the fun of it. As he starts gasping for breath, I stun him. "Idiot."

I touch a vine with my wand. _"Gratias ago vos matris terra."_

The vines sway as if saying welcome and retreat back into the floor. I transfigure Peter into a rat and store him in a box I specially prepared for him. It prevents any magic being performed within it.

I pocket the box and clear away the mattress and the food. I pocket Peter's wand.

I look around the room at the different house emblems and wonder what they are doing here. I walk toward the Gryffindor emblem and activate the mage sight. I see a ward. As I analyze it, I realize it's some kind of password-protected barrier. There is also provision for entry based on blood, but which can be overridden if the password is known.

I look at the other three founders and find the same. I step in front of Slytherin's symbol. Worth giving it a shot. If nothing happens, I will at least let Dumbledore know.

"_Open."_

The snake within the symbol slowly comes alive. _"Who are you speaker? I sense the magic of Slytherin within you, but you are not of his blood."_

"_My name is Harry James Potter. And how do you know that I am not of his blood?"_

"_There are no secrets within this chamber, speaker. Only the truth can be spoken. Your very essence is open for the guardians to judge."_

"_I do not understand."_

"_No you do not. But you may enter Harry James Potter, to the final resting place of Salazar Slytherin."_

­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

AN: And here is chapter 7. The next chapter will take us to the end of third year and its already done. I will post it in a few weeks time. Quidditch is not the primary focus of this story, so I am not including a lot of description. The last match Harry plays will have that though. Please review. The more reviews I see the more inclined I am to write. Thanks. I am also looking for a BETA. If anyone is interested, please email me.


	8. Chapter 8

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 08**

As I stand there stunned, a door materializes in front of me where the symbol should be. It opens on its own accord and I step inside still in shock.

The door closes behind me and I find myself in a small rectangular room with a sarcophagus covered in runes. I approach it cautiously and stare at it in wonder. I can feel the power radiating from it.

"Do not go closer lad. You will not like the result."

I turn around slowly to see the Portrait of Slytherin above the door. He's a regal looking man with grey beard and blue eyes. I stare at it for a few moments, before I realize my manners or the lack of it.

I bow respectfully to him. "Lord Slytherin."

And he nods. "And you are Harry James Potter."

"I am sir."

"What year is it lad?"

"The year 1994 sir."

He raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Indeed! 653 years since the last headmaster visited me. How has that come to pass?" He asks more to himself.

I remain silent until he focuses back on me. "The guardian says true. You have Slytherin magic within you. But you are not of my kin. Hmmm… Ah!..." He suddenly frowns at me.

"It's a sad day one finds their only remaining descendent has become a monstrosity."

How did he know that? I check my mind shields and they are fine.

"Do not worry lad. Hogwarts relayed about your past and what happened in the chamber. I am glad you killed my Basilisk. It was always meant to be a protector, a last defense, but was corrupted by this Tom Riddle."

Silence reigns, which I break with a question.

"Forgive me Lord Slytherin… But what is this chamber? I believe it's more than a mausoleum…"

"It is. The four of us created a chamber each where we can rest till ever. Our magic was released into the castle on our death to provide it with a minor sentience, which has been augmented over the years. The hat you know of, as the sorting hat is a prime example of this sentience. This chamber is meant to provide guidance to the headmaster or headmistress of the time. But it seems, the last headmaster who visited me met with an accident and as such didn't pass the secret on to his successor."

I nod and glance at the sarcophagus. I try to read some of the runes and their purpose. I understand a few, some I don't.

I turn to face the founder. "Is this one of the primary ward stones?"

He smiles at that. "It is. Along with the other three stones, it provides Hogwarts with numerous wards. The headmaster to a minor extent can control the wards. But the majority of the control lies with the ward stones and we, the founders as you call us now, are the only ones who can change them."

As I absorb this new information – "It's curious that a thirteen year old can understand such complex runic schemes and wield nature magic."

"I do what I can, Lord Slytherin. But may I ask why you readily parted this information with me?"

"You have proved yourself worthy of such information, Harry James Potter. You have protected this school twice from my own descendent. You, who has wielded Godric's sword have earned my respect as well as the other founders."

"Thanks you sir. But is it not true that you and Lord Gryffindor were enemies?"

"We had our differences, but we were never enemies. I left the school in search of knowledge and returned soon after Godric's passing." He sighs in sadness.

"Times have passed and my views have been corrupted. But enough." Here he straightens and looks down at me. "Please tell the headmaster of our wish to converse with him."

Hmmm… That could be a problem. Seeing my hesitation – "Will that be a problem Harry James Potter?"

"Call me Harry, Lord Slytherin. And will it be alright if I let him know in 4 days time?"

He stares at me with such intensity that I want to avert my eyes, but do not. He finally nods. "Very well. So be it."

I thank him and turn to leave, when I think of something. I turn back to face him. "Sir, as a speaker of parseltongue, I wish to learn parselmagic. Would you be willing to teach me?"

"I am honor bound to teach you what ever I can, Harry. It shall be done. Though know this. The portrait cannot be moved from this room and as such the learning can only be limited to what can happen in here."

"I appreciate it sir. Will it be possible for me to converse with the other founders?"

He smirks at me. "Thirsty for knowledge are you?"

As I smile, he closes his eyes in concentration. He opens them and nods to me. "State your name to the other guardians and you shall be granted access. Please tell the headmaster to visit Lady Ravenclaw foremost. For him to gain access he needs to state his name and title while facing the guardian."

I convey my thanks again and leave the chamber. I visit the other founders to pay my respects and again ask if they can teach me what they can. I will learn from Lady Rowena, enchanting, from Lady Helga, potions and nature magic and finally from Lord Godric, to wield magic as a weapon.

I leave the guardian chamber, a little overwhelmed to be honest. I need to make sure Pettigrew is safe and get some sleep. Tomorrow I will implement the second step to get Sirius free.

* * *

It's 8 in the morning. I walk along road leading to Hogsmead. It is unusually busy for a non-hogsmead weekend. I have a smile on my lips, though none can see it. I'm disillusioned and have a silencing charm on me. It's the day after the Quidditch match.

We won the tiebreaker yesterday. Our strategy worked splendidly. The plan was simple. I was to play seeker and an interceptor. When I am intercepting the quaffle throw or their chaser formations, the keeper will keep a lookout on the other team's seeker. A risky play, but it was needed. Transylvania's chasers were the best in the league, followed by the Irish. Our chasers rank 5th in the number of goals, passes and intercepts.

The only thing that matters is that it worked. We won 670 to 350. I played more of an interceptor than a seeker until we had a clear 160 points lead. I had to block the Transylvanian seeker a couple of times until he lost the snitch. At the end I caught the snitch and it was a perfect victory for the English taking us into the Quarters where we play Peru in March. The winner of that match will play the winner between Uganda and Ireland in the semifinal in May.

But today… Today I hope will see Sirius a free man. As I approach the Three Broomsticks, it gets busier. In fact the street is packed. Mostly with reporters and camera crew. But there are quite a few Aurors in there. I also spot a few disillusioned men standing near isolated corners. I approach the closest one and hit him with a full body bind. I levitate him around a corner and remove his disillusionment to see a man in his late twenties. I don't recognize him. I lift the right sleeve to see no dark mark. I do not know what his business here is, but I don't like it. I write a note on a conjured parchment for the Aurors to check for disillusioned people and leave it on the wizard. I shoot red sparks and move near the crowd.

Seeing the sparks the Aurors approach the spot and shout in surprise at the seeing the man. As soon as the other disillusioned men see what's happening, they apparate away.

I slowly walk toward the small platform I raised last night. I glance around to see a lot of antsy looking ministry staff. I smirk as I see someone reading today's Daily Prophet. The headlines scream "Potter Tells All – Will reveal real traitor Peter Pettigrew tomorrow at Hogsmead".

After the match yesterday, I went missing for a couple of hours. I met with Rita Skeeter, a rather controversial reporter and the editor of Daily Prophet. I gave them a brief exclusive interview with the condition that the article remains a secret until it came out in the paper in the morning edition.

In addition I also hired an attorney who worked with the Potter family in the past to represent Sirius and myself. He sent out requests to Madame Bones, Dumbledore, and Snape to be at the press conference today. I see Amelia Bones and quite a few other people I didn't invite but expected such as Minister Fudge and cronies. I don't see Crouch anywhere. I guess he might have expected something's up and decided not to show up.

I look at my watch to see there's another 10 minutes to go. I look toward the school to see Dumbledore, Minerva, Remus and Snape ambling toward us. I approach my attorney who is waiting nearby and tap on the shoulder to let him know that I am here. He nods slightly at that. I remove my disillusionment when everyone is focused on Dumbledore and the 3 professors expecting me to be with them.

I climb on to the platform and seeing me the crowd goes berserk. The reporters shout their questions from anything between Sirius, Pettigrew, Quidditch and my supposed love life.

The minister tries to interfere. "POTTER. You do not have the right to conduct any kind of legal proceedings. As the minister of magic I demand you to handover any evidence you have against Black, including Pettigrew. I can have you thrown in Azkaban."

I raise my eyebrow at him and smile jovially at him. "Thank you for reminding us who you are minister and of your utter lack in knowledge of our laws, which you were elected to govern. As for what rights I have, my attorney Richard Simmright will let you know of them."

Richard steps up on to the stage and faces the public. "Thank you Mister Potter. Minister, according to the laws established in the year 1779, Harry James Potter as the heir to the Ancient and Noble house of Potter can request a public trial of anyone who he strongly believes has harmed his family. If he believes that the ministry cannot provide him justice, he can select two members from either the ministry or the Wizgamont to give him justice. We have selected Madame Bones, head of the DMLE and the Chief Mugwump Albus Dumbledore."

Fudge goes red in his face. "But… But I am the minister of magic."

My Attorney's lips quirk upwards. "Duly noted minister."

Dumbledore, Bones, couple of Aurors and a court scribe step on to the platform. One of the Aurors is the big black man I saw while I was meddling with the ministry wards. I glance at Dumbledore to see him looking on at the proceedings serenely. I meet Remus' eyes and wink at him.

Madame Bones raises a pertinent issue. "And is your client willing to pay the substantial fine, if his case is proved to be false?"

Richard nods. "He is."

If this turns out to be a false case, I will owe the ministry 200,000 galleons. A significant amount, which is one of the reasons why this law is not evoked as frequently.

Bones nods. "Please continue."

Richard continues. "Thank you. Our case is simple. Mister Potter believes that Mister Black who is accused of being the Potter's secret keeper and of killing Peter Pettigrew is innocent. He believes that Peter Pettigrew to be the real traitor and to be the one who blew up the street, staging his own death and killing 12 unsuspecting muggles.

Madame Bones raises her eyebrows at this. "Do you have proof to support this statement?"

"Thank you Madame Bones. We indeed have proof."

He nods to me, where on I remove the box from my pocket and give it to Richard. He opens the box and removes the transfigured rat from the box. He puts the rat on the floor and reverses the transfiguration. The crowd grasps as Peter becomes visible.

As Richard enervates him, a blasting curse heads toward Peter from within the crowd. I expected something like this to happen.

"Absolvo" I shout raising my strongest shield yet. The curse gets absolved into the shield and panic ensues.

Dumbledore issues a loud BANG. "SILENCE" he shouts.

Amelia takes charge. "Aurors, control the crowd and shield the platform."

As the Aurors take charge, I smirk at the glowering Fudge.

Amelia body binds Peter to a chair. "Mr. Simmright, how can you be sure this is Peter Pettigrew?"

"We have asked Albus Dumbledore and Professor Snape here to confirm his as such. Mr. Dumbledore was the headmaster during Pettigrew's time at Hogwarts and Mr. Snape was in the same year. We believe that they can identify him."

Madame Bones turn to face Dumbledore and he nods while staring at Peter. "It is him."

She turns to face Snape. I do the same to see him glowering at Peter with utter hatred, which surprised me. If any, I thought he would be glowering at me for putting him on the spot. He slowly nods. "It is Peter Pettigrew."

Madame Bones takes a huge breath and turns to face us. "Is it your and your clients prerogative to seek the truth through the use of Veritaserum?"

"It is Madame Bones."

"Very well." She takes out the bottle of Veritaserum. "Let it be known that this potion has been tested and proven by DMLE to be genuine Veritaserum."

One of the Aurors wenches Peter's jaw open as he keeps pleading his innocence. He is fed 3 drops of the serum and his jaw is closed. His eyes lose their focus as he goes into the potion-induced trance.

Madame Bones starts the questioning.

"What is your name?"

"Peter Marcus Pettigrew." A gasp issues from the crowd.

"What year did you graduate from Hogwarts?"

"1978."

"Who was the Potter's secret keeper?"

"I was." Another gasp.

"Did you betray the secret to You-Know-Who?"

"Yes." Silence reigns.

Even Amelia Bones is flustered by this.

"Did you give this information willingly?"

"Yes."

"Are you a death eater?"

"Yes." And the crowd breaks into a chorus of noise.

Amelia raises her voice over the crowd and Dumbledore silences them with a wide area-silencing spell generally used in court rooms. "What happened the day after Halloween 1981, when you confronted Sirius Black?"

"I did not confront him. He confronted me. I shouted that he betrayed Lily and James, cut of my finger and blew up the street. I transformed into a rat and escaped in the sewers."

"What do you mean transformed into a rat?"

"I am a rat animagus."

"Is Sirius Black a death eater?"

"No."

And the questions stop at that. Remus who is standing by Snape at the front of the crowd lunges at Peter, but I come in between and stop him.

"How could you Peter? How could you?"

The serum is still in effect. He starts crying. "I was afraid, Remus. The dark lord was powerful. There was nothing to gain by standing against him."

I pull Remus away from the crying man. "Let him be, Remus. He will get what's coming to him."

He struggles but slumps down. "Oh god… Sirius."

I whisper into his ear and he brightens. He nods and steps away from the platform.

I turn around to see Peter being given the anti-serum and howled away by the Aurors.

I face Madame Bones. "So Madame, is Sirius Black going to get his pardon?"

"Rest assured Mister Potter, the ministry will announce his pardon today. What happened to him is atrocious. You wouldn't know where he is?"

I put on my best poker face. "Of course not Madame Bones. It is against the law to play host to a wanted criminal even if I think he is innocent."

She smirks at me knowingly and I smirk back.

"But… He knows that I believe him to be innocent. So I can reach him by owl."

"Good. Please ask him to drop by the ministry to collect his pardon tomorrow."

Richard steps in. "I will accompany Mister Black tomorrow after we see a public announcement in the Prophet. We will of course be suing the ministry for false imprisonment of my client."

Madame Bones nods and stares at me for a moment. "You are an interesting young man Potter. That's a powerful shield you created. Especially for a NEWT level spell."

"It never hurts to be ready Madame Bones."

She nods. "Yes, It never hurts."

We stare at each other. She nods one final time at myself, Dumbledore and Minerva and goes about her way.

As I step off the platform, the reporters surround me. I keep my wand in hand, just in case. Remus is close by, so is Minerva and Dumbledore.

I answer a few questions regarding Sirius and Quidditch. I tell them I need to do my homework and head for the school with the three Professors.

We enter Hogwarts' grounds. Minerva glances at me with a stern look. "Mr. Potter where were you this morning?"

I act innocent. "This morning, Professor?"

Her lips form a thin line. Not a good sign. "Yes. This morning. You were not in the common room and your friends didn't know where you were."

"Oh! OH! I was just, you know, roaming around."

"No I don't. Where exactly were you roaming around?"

"A good Wizard doesn't tell his secrets, professor."

Remus laughs at that and Dumbledore chuckles.

Minerva narrows her eyes. "Maybe I should give you detention for the rest of the school year for leaving grounds without permission?"

Dumbledore comes to the rescue. "Now, now Minerva lets not be hasty. He did have a good reason after all."

As Minerva starts to object he raises his hand. "But, he did leave the grounds without permission. So how about 50 points from Gryffindor and 3 days of detention with you and might I suggest Filius."

"Filius? How is he involved in this?"

"I will leave the explanations to Harry." He glances at me and I nod my head. I guess he is providing me with the opportune moment to show my talents in Transfiguration and Charms.

Minerva looks at me shrewdly and nods. "Fine."

Dumbledore claps his hands. "Splendid. Now Harry, how about we give Sirius the good news."

I laugh at that. Good old Albus. "Why not professor."

Minerva looks stunned. "What? He's in the castle?"

We reach the 7th floor corridor and gather around the portrait of Barnabass the Barmy. I glance at the three professors with a sly smile. "Professors… Are you ready to learn one of Hogwarts many secrets?"

They look curious, but Minerva looks a little irritated as well. "Get on with it Potter."

I nod and walk across the portrait three times thinking "I need a place for Sirius Black to safely hide and get better."

A door appears. I walk up to it and open it. "Welcome to the room of requirements."

We enter the room to find Padfoot waiting for us. I smile at him and give a thumbs up. He transforms back into his human form. He stares at me in wonder and closes his eyes saying a silent prayer. He walks up to me and gives me a rib-cracking hug.

"Thank you Harry. Thank you."

I pat him on the back. "Don't worry about it Sirius. Now stop being all mushy."

He laughs at that and takes in the other three people in the room.

"Headmaster."

Dumbledore smiles and nods. "Welcome back, Sirius. And may I be the first to apologies for not believing in you?"

"Apology accepted headmaster. It's water under the bridge anyways. Time to move on."

"Excellent and call me Albus."

Sirius glances at Minerva and gives her a cheeky smile. "You haven't aged a bit in the last decade professor."

Minerva smiles at that. "You were always the charmer, Sirius. If you were still in school, I would give you points for such an excellent demonstration of being an Animagus."

"Maybe you can give it to Harry? He did after all…" At this I stamp on Sirius foot.

"Ow! What was that for?"

I glare at him and he shuffles his feat, nervous.

Minerva of course doesn't leave it at that. "He did what Sirius?"

He looks at me nervously. "Nothing really. I was just saying he after all brought you here."

She purses her lips. "Mr. Black you tell me right now or I will give you a detention for a week."

Sirius looks confused at that. "Huh? I did pass out right?" He asks looking at Remus, who smiles and nods.

He breathes out on relief. "Oh good. For a moment I thought I was still in school."

Remus moves across to stand in front on Sirius. "Padfoot."

Sirius smiles back. "Moony."

And they hug each other as 2 brother reunited.

I silently move toward the door followed by Albus and Minerva leaving Sirius and Remus to reacquaint with each other.

As I close the door, Dumbledore comments. "Interesting room, Harry. I think I came across it once and it was filled with chamber pots."

"You walk across the portrait 3 times thinking what kind of room you want and it becomes that room. Quite a piece of magic."

We stare at the door for a few moments. "Potter meet me after Dinner tonight for your detention."

I agree and Minerva leaves us.

I stare at Albus as he stares at the door.

"So Professor… Would you like to learn another of Hogwarts' secrets?"

He laughs at that and peers down at me through his half moon glasses. "You seem to be carrying a lot of secrets these days, Harry?"

I smirk at him. "Oh, I do. But this one is not my secret. I am just a messenger."

He looks curious. "You got me intrigued."

"Then, shall we proceed?"

He nods and we march down to the third floor. I walk through the illusion wall and take the passage down to the circular room closely followed by Albus.

He looks at the four symbols in wonder. "Such power I can sense in this room… What is this place, Harry?"

I wave my hand across the room as if introducing him, which in a way I am. "Welcome, professor, to the final resting place of Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Huffelpuff."

* * *

I left Albus to chat with the founders and head toward the common room. I feel light headed as the adrenaline over the last 2 hours comes crashing down. Sirius is free. My godfather is free. I smile at that thought. I have family who doesn't hate my very existence.

I enter to see the common room empty except for a few people. I spy Ron and Hermione sitting near the fireplace in a serious discussion. I fall into place beside them.

"Hey guys."

Ron scowls at me and Hermione purses her lips. Huh!

"What's up?"

"Where were you this morning, mate?"

I shrug. "Around."

His scowl deepens. "You are keeping secrets from us, Harry."

I scowl back. "You mean today's news?"

Hermione pitches in. "That and more, Harry. All of a sudden you know so much more about magic. You continuously beat me in class in EVERY subject we take together. You are playing for England. You were very good at Quidditch before. But now, it's like you are not afraid. You are more confident."

She takes a breather. "Something happened to you over the summer. I thought you might be a polyjuiced imposter. But you aren't as you spent many double periods without drinking anything."

I nod at her observation. "You are right. I do have secrets and something did happen."

They smile at me in triumph as if they won a competition. As Hermione opens her mouth I raise my hand to stop her. I quickly raise a privacy ward. "But that doesn't mean I am going to share them with you lot."

Ron turns red in anger and scowls darkly at me. "We are your friends mate."

I smile at them lovingly. "You are. The best of friends one could hope for. Friends who were willing to face death together."

Ron smiles at that and Hermione's stares at me misty eyed. I slowly lose my smile and stare seriously at them.

"But that doesn't mean I will share every last secret of mine with you guys. And I expect the same from you.

I add softly. "Some secrets are not meant to be shared. Not when they mean life and death."

They open their mouth to argue. "Will you really share your deepest darkest secrets with me? Are either of you ready to do that?"

They close their mouths as they think about it. Ron looks back seriously and nods. Hermione does the same, even if reluctantly.

I smile at them. "That said there are a few things I do want to share with you."

I smirk at Ron. "So Ron, I saw Scabbers the other day…" He brightens at that.

As I continue my story, his look turns to that of horror. "I let him sleep in my bed." He really looks green. I hit him with a calming charm and he relaxes a bit.

They both share in my happiness. Ron pats my back and Hermione gives me a hug. At that moment I decided to share a couple of things with them. Not about the founders room. I cannot share that without permission from them and I don't think my friends are ready to learn anything beyond what I can teach them at this point. But I have a few more secrets to share…

"And you were right, Hermione. Something did happen to me. But not this summer. It happened in the chamber."

They both look intrigued. "I cannot tell you what though. Not until you are half way decent at Occlumency."

Hermione puts on her thinking cap and Ron looks lost. "What's that mate?"

"Hermione?"

She looks flustered. Probably the first time she didn't know a perfect answer. "Is that something to do with mind, Harry?"

I nod. "Yes. It's a nearly forgotten art of protecting one's mind against external influences. Very few actually know about it and only a handful even practice it. And among those, hardly anyone ever takes the time to master it. It takes years of focus and concentration to achieve that level. If you guys want to know my secrets, you need to achieve at least an acceptable level in it."

Ron looks astonished and slightly scared. "You… You mean there are people who can read my mind."

I nod. "Both Snape and Dumbledore can. It's called Leglimency."

"Bloody hell."

"RON. Language. Do you know Occlumency, Harry?" asks Hermione.

I nod again. "I do. And I am decent at it. I can block out any passive leglimency effort. And I can block a direct attack from any mediocre wizard. But if say Dumbledore or even Snape were to attack me with their full strength, I would have to use my wand to protect myself."

I see where this is going. "I am an unusual case Hermione. To even get to this stage, you will need to be practicing for at least a few years. It seems that Parseltongue was not the only thing Voldemort passed on to me."

They nod in understanding. "I will give you both a book over the summer. Work on it. It will not only help you protect your mind, but also increase your focus. You will need it if you ever want to learn truly powerful magic."

I eye Hermione. "The kind of magic in Sirius' books."

After that Hermione goes back to her homework and I spend an hour or so playing chess and losing magnificently to Ron.

We have a peaceful lunch where the sole topic of conversation in the great hall is about Black and Pettigrew with more than a few glances in my direction. I look up at the head table to see neither Dumbledore nor Snape present. After lunch I tell my friends I am going for a walk. They ask if I want company and I tell them that it is one of those things I must do alone. They nod and go about their work.

I reach the room and requirements. I walk across it three times and open the door. I find Sirius and Remus laughing about and having lunch.

On seeing me, Remus walks around and hugs me. "Thank you, Harry."

I disengage myself from him. "Whatever for?"

"For helping free Sirius of course."

I roll my eyes and smile at him. "He's my godfather. Of course I would help him."

Remus ruffles my already messy hair. "Of course you would."

Sirius comes to stand beside me and puts his hand across my shoulder.

"Harry, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay…"

"Let's sit down first."

We settle down with Sirius sitting right in front of me. He looks me in the eye quite serious. I can't help myself.

"Why so serious, Sirius?"

He gawks at me for second and then bursts out laughing. Remus who's sitting beside me groans as if in pain. "Not that serious, Sirius joke, Harry."

"Well Remus… He is serious."

Even Remus cracks a smile at that.

Sirius sobers down. "All jokes aside, Harry… You know I am going to be officially free tomorrow?"

I nod. "I was there you know. Spit it out Sirius."

"I want you to come and live with me Harry."

I stare at him a little stunned. To be quite honest, I didn't expect that. I don't know why… But it does give this strange feeling inside me. For the first time since I was an year old, I… I have a family."

I get up and hug him.

"Thanks Sirius. I would love to live with you."

Then, I realize something and my enthusiasm fades. I release him and sit back down. Seeing Sirius, confused…

"There are blood wards on Privet drive Sirius. And they are very powerful. More powerful and secure than a fidelus protected house."

They cringe at that. On second thought, it probably wasn't a good comparison based on all our histories. Sirius looks depressed at that.

"But…" He looks up at me hopeful.

"But, I only need to stay there for a month if I am right. So the rest of the summer and during Christmas I can stay with you."

He brightens up instantly at that and does a jig around the room. After that, I spend a few hours listening about their exploits with my dad and a few stories about my mom.

We make plans to meet at the ministry tomorrow after my training. I will be accompanying Sirius to get his pardon and his new wand, as tomorrow's a Sunday.

As I get up to leave, Sirius stops me.

"You know, Harry… You never told me how you captured Peter… Can you please show me in the pensieve?"

I think about it. "Dumbledore is going to ask me the same, Sirius. How about I show you both at the same time?"

Sirius shrugs and nods, while Remus looks on perplexed.

"You captured Peter, Harry? I thought Sirius did and brought him to you."

Sirius barks a laugh. "No Moony. My dear godson is a fledging prodigy. He captured me with a rune scheme in our old common room and set me up here. He said he had a plan to capture Peter… But never told me how."

Remus looks intrigued. "A Rune scheme, Harry? If I remember right, building a complex rune scheme like that wouldn't be covered until your seventh year."

I smirk at him. "Doesn't mean I have to wait that long to learn it."

Sirius barks another laugh. "By godson, a Quidditch prodigy, a fledging transfiguration, charms and runes master…" He wipes a fake tear from his eye.

I blush a little at the praise. First time I got any from a family member. I guess it will take a little getting used to.

Remus looks stunned. "Transfiguration?"

I shrug. "If you want, you both can come to the detention tonight with Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. Dumbledore wanted me to show them what I know."

They agree and I leave for dinner.

As I enter the great hall I see Albus sitting at the head table talking to Minerva. Our eyes meet and he gives me a nod. I don't see Snape anywhere.

After dinner, I went to Minerva's office accompanied by Remus and Sirius in his dog form. Until the news comes out tomorrow, there is nothing to be done about that. The staff knows about him, but not the students.

For the next two hours I showcase my knowledge and power in Transfiguration and Charms. From complex animations to conjuring live animals to powerful communications charms, I dazzle them with my prowess and knowledge. And to end the show, I create a stone golem. Unlike the snow golem, it will take more than a punch to destroy this.

I doubt I could have done such complex magic at the beginning of this year. How much ever knowledge I have, I simply didn't have the concentration and power needed. But now, after hours and hours of practice, my magic is strong, stronger than I expected it to be. I think it's because of two reasons. One, I did absorb a little bit of Voldemort's magic during the chamber incident. I never considered that until a few weeks back when I started practicing elemental and nature magic from those books.

Practically every spell needs immense power and concentration. They are somewhat like Fiendfyre in that, if you lose your concentration, they might just destroy you.

Practicing these high level spells not only increased my magical strength, but it also gave me more finesse and control when I do the lesser spells. I dare say I am as powerful as the 15-year-old Tom Riddle who created his first Horcrux.

All 4 adults look astounded at me. Some people might call me a cheat for using a short cut, which Voldemort's memories provided. But to tell the truth, I don't care. I think it's a just reward for carrying a piece of his sole for most of my life.

The silence is broken as Minerva collapses into her chair. "How can this be? For the first two years, you were for lack of a better word, an ordinary student, mister Potter. You improved a great deal in class this year… But… But this is ridiculous."

Filius looks very excited. "The spells you did, Harry… It's not just knowing the spell. Anyone who reads a book can get that. But the control and the ease with which you have done them is unheard of in a 13 year old."

I glance at Sirius and Remus to see their reactions. Sirius is smiling from ear to ear and is ready to do another jig, while Remus stares at me in shock. I turn back to face the professors.

"Thank you professors. All I can say is, since the chamber incident, it was like a dam has broken inside me. I feel free and yes powerful. I have a thirst for knowledge and so took it upon myself to learn all I can."

"What chamber?" asks Sirius.

They both nod at me distracted, lost in their thoughts.

"I will tell you later Sirius."

He pouts at me, but keeps on smiling. "James and Lily would be so proud of you."

I hope so as well.

Minerva clears her throat. "Thank you Mr. Potter for sharing your skills and knowledge with us."

I nod at her and she continues. "You clearly do not need the regular classes Hogwarts offers in Transfiguration and Charms. Do you intend to test out of them?"

"I rather not Professor."

"But why?"

"The less my enemies know about me, the better."

She purses her lips but nods her assent.

Filius continues to stare at me. "Minerva, I think Mr. Potter can benefit more from the special tutoring we can offer."

Seeing my confusion he elaborates. "Every year, a few professors select one or two exceptional seventh year students to tutor them in their respective fields. I, Mr. Potter was a dueling champion for a number of years in my youth. If you choose to accept my offer, I will teach you the different styles of dueling and how and when to use the different spells in your armor for the best results."

I smile at that. Voldemort spent many years learning different styles of dueling and he fought many great fighters, sometimes to the death, in underground dueling competitions. I would need to be proficient in this if I were to match him one day.

I bow to him respectfully. "Thank you professor. I really appreciate it."

He waves it off. "Think nothing of it, Mr. Potter. Every master's dream is to meet a worthy student to pass on their secrets."

I again thank him. I turn to see Minerva staring into the space. After a few seconds… "There is much to transfiguration we do not teach here, Potter. There are secrets, passed down from master to apprentice that are not shared. I have never offered this to a student and I am hesitant to do so even now. But you have such potential…"

She takes a deep breath. "I cannot offer you an official apprenticeship since my position as the deputy headmistress forbids me to do so. But if you accept to become my unofficial apprentice, I will teach you everything I know about Transfiguration."

I stare at her open mouthed for a second before I compose myself. I bow to her. "Thank you Professor. I accept."

Both the professor smile at me. I receive a slap on my back and see Sirius standing with a hand over my shoulder. "I don't know whether to be sad or happy for you Harry. Sad that you are becoming a book worm or happy that you will receive special tutoring from two of the best professors in Hogwarts."

At this both the professors blush a little. It's quite hilarious actually.

"How can we help you, Harry?" asks Remus.

I shrug. "Just be there for me guys."

And then I smile evilly. "And maybe both of you give me some dueling practice."

They both shudder in mock horror. Sirius shakes his head and holds me at arms length. "We will always be there for you, Harry. We haven't for most of our lives. But…"

I pat him on the hand. "I know, Sirius. I know."

I turn back to face the professors. "I have a request for both of you. I am still learning a lot by myself and I have Quidditch for 30 hours a week. Can we start the tutoring next year?"

They both think about it and Filius answers for both. "It's for the best I think. What do you say, Minerva?"

Minerva nods in acceptance.

I give them both an ear splitting smile. "Thank you. On that topic professors, is it okay if I skip my homework for rest of the year? As you said, I clearly don't need it and it will free up my time. Please?" I give them my best puppy dog eyes.

The three men in the room laugh and Minerva stares at me sternly. "You better win the world cup Mister Potter."

I swallow at that nervously.

* * *

The next day turns out to be bright and sunny. I leave for my Quidditch training around 8 in the morning after breakfast. The team members were excited about the news in the paper. The ministry publicly declared Sirius to be free. They corner me in the locker and ask me all about it and I tell them what I can.

The training going forward is going to be different. The coach decided to break the training day into sessions. My session as a seeker is to intercept the chaser plays while the beaters concentrate the bludgers solely on me. The reserve seeker will play the opposing seeker. Needless to say 2 hours into the session, I was dead on my feet.

Escaping the bludgers at every turn, intercepting the chaser plays using dives, rolls and my trademark broom surfing, all the while keeping an eye on the other seeker and for the snitch is not a child's play. I lost the snitch twice out of the 4 plays we played in the session. Better than I hoped. I'm perfecting a couple of new moves, which should be useful in the next few matches.

I have 6 weeks to improve my numbers for the quarters where we play Peru. They have a good seeker. But the best so far is Viktor Krum of Bulgaria. Quite literally a powerhouse of a seeker. The Bulgarian chasers have the worst record by far of all the 8 teams to enter the quarters. They won their matches solely on Viktor's seeking. I hope I get to play against him. To win against the best is the true prize. The true challenge.

I leave the stadium and floo to the Leaky Cauldron in the evening to meet with Sirius. I am under and glamour to avoid the crowds and it turned out to be a good thing as the pub is packed. And paying a lot of attention to Sirius who along with Remus is at the bar.

I also see a familiar face nearby. It's Alastor Moody the Auror or Ex-Auror as it is. With a wooden leg, a magical eye and half his nose missing he's a gruesome sight. I bet he's a fierce fighter even with only half the assets. It took Voldemort over 15 minutes to subdue him in a head to head duel. Moody lost his eye to a bludgeoner and leg to fiendfyre on that fateful day. And Evan Rosier one of Voldemort's better fighters took his nose before Moody killed him.

His magical eye tracks me as soon I as I enter the pub. I guess he can see my glamour. I nod to him and he scowls at me. Dumbledore must have sent him to protect Sirius until he gets a wand. Good.

I take a step toward Sirius and Moody gets up to his feet and follows me with his wand ready. As I tap Sirius on the shoulder Moody walks up to me.

"Good glamour, Potter. CONSTANT VIGILLANCE."

Sirius smiles. "Ahh… Harry, I want you to meet a good friend, Alastor Moody, Ex-Auror."

"Good evening Mr. Moody."

"Aye, good evening lad. Call me Alastor or mad-eye."

I smile and answer. "And the same goes to you Alastor, call me Harry."

I remove my glamour and we floo to the ministry, where we were sent to Madame Bones' office under Auror escort. We meet with our lawyer and proceed to get Sirius his official release.

He surprised me by asking Madame Bones about taking over my official guardianship as my parents last will states.

The four of us step out of the office when we see two unwelcome faces. Lucius Malfoy and Cornelius Fudge.

Seeing us Lucius sneers.

Sirius shakes his head and moans. "The first two people I see after I get my freedom back… What have I ever done to deserve this?"

They approach us and Lucius glares at me and then at Sirius. "It seems Azkaban hasn't been bad for you Black."

Sirius glares back. "Unlike others, I knew I was innocent."

The minister fidgets around nervously.

Lucius shifts his focus to me. "Mr. Potter, we meet again. You have been making a name for yourself."

I smile mockingly. "Why Mr. Malfoy, I didn't know you cared."

He takes a step toward me and Sirius blocks him. Malfoy scowls and looks down at me. "Be careful Potter. English fans will be devastated if something unfortunate should happen to you."

I glare at him and release my magic, something, which comes with learning wandless magic. I whisper to him with a hint of menace and threat. "The whole world knows what happened last time someone tried to kill me. You should know your history better, Malfoy."

He scowls at me confused by what he sees in front of him. He didn't expect a 13 year old to be that powerful. He turns around and walks away with the minister shadowing him.

Moody BARKS a laugh. "You got more balls than most adults, Potter. But be careful boy. Malfoy is not someone to piss of lightly. CONSTANT VIGILLANCE."

I agree and we leave the ministry with Sirius and Remus in silent discussion behind him. We reach Ollivanders where he greets me with a smile. I am sure he made good use of the fangs I gave him. Sirius buys his wand and the four of us leave to Hogwarts.

That night, while having dinner with my friends, I got a note from the headmaster asking me to come to his office after dinner.

I step into the headmasters to see it empty except for Fawkes.

"Hey Fawkes." The phoenix trills in response as I pet him. I see a bookshelf and walk to it. They are mostly on wards and transfiguration.

"They are some of the best books on their subjects, Harry."

I turn to see Albus standing close by observing me. I nod to him. "Hello professor."

I turn back to face the bookshelf. "You wouldn't happen to have a book on the fidelius charm, would you?"

He smiles at that. "Maybe Harry… Maybe."

We sit at the table. "Can you teach that charm to me professor?"

He taps the table as he stares at me. "It's one of the most complex and intricate charms ever designed."

I agree. "I know professor. I have an idea I am working on that would require the workings of the fidelius."

He stares at me for a while. "I hope you are not experimenting by yourself Harry. That could be disastrous."

"I am still working on the theory part professor. But when it comes to applying the theory, I will do it under adult supervision."

He nods. "Is it something I can help with?"

I smile cheekily at him. "It's a surprise. One I think you will appreciate."

He nods and continues. "I must thank you, Harry for letting me know of the founder's request."

I shrug again. "I was just a messenger. You had a good conversation?"

He nods absentmindedly. "It was enlightening in the least. You see Harry, Hogwarts standard wards are powerful, but are not meant to protect in a war. Being more magically powerful than most, I took it upon myself to cast new wards and maintain them for the last two wars, against Grindelwald and Voldemort."

"You maintained the wards around Hogwarts?" God, how powerful is he?

Albus nods at that. "It was indeed very taxing. But it was not enough. Voldemort still found a way to enter the castle in your first year."

"And now?"

"Now, I tied my personal wards to the school ward stones and the founders will increase the strength of the original wards in the coming few days. And if there should come a time when Voldemort is amongst us again, the ward levels can be increased to suit the purpose. And they can be formidable."

I nod in appreciation. It makes sense too. To have powerful wards covering as big and public a place as Hogwarts at a continuous alert status is not recommended.

"Now coming back to the reason I called for this meeting, I must ask you Harry about how you came to know about the ward room and of Mr. Pettigrew."

"They are both linked. I went to find Peter and he was staying in that room. I explored and talked to Lord Slytherin who conveyed his message to you."

"And Peter, how did you know of him?"

"It's a long story Professor, which I promised Sirius and Remus that I will tell them as well. Do you think you can call them and I can show in a pensieve?"

"Very well, let's move on to the last topic. Filius and Minerva conveyed their decision regards to providing you with tutoring beyond a standard Hogwarts education and I gave them my blessings."

"Thank you."

"Alastor mentioned about the altercation you had with Mr. Malfoy and wishes to accompany you during your Quidditch practices and matches."

I scowl. "I don't know about that professor…"

He raises his hand. "Personally I think it has a lot to do with his love for Quidditch. With him being retired it will also help in easing his boredom. Make no mistake Harry, he's a legend and you can learn many things from him. Not just about magic, but about life and what it's like to fight for it.

I give it a thought and finally agree. "Alright professor, since you insist."

"Marvelous. Let's go meet Sirius and Remus shall we? I assume you own a pensieve?

"I do."

"Then let us move."

We meet the Marauders in the ROR, where I show them how I captured Sirius, my resulting conversation and finally my fight with Peter.

We come out of the last memory, when Sirius picks up his wand in rage and strides toward the door. "I'm going to kill that rat."

I quickly get hold of him. "Get yourself together Sirius."

"How could you just let him go, Harry? He tried to kill you. He was the reason you lost your parents."

"Because I wanted you free."

He deflates at that statement and sits down morosely.

"How did you know Sirius was innocent Harry?"

I was prepared for this. "I learnt occlumency over the summer, which allowed me to view my memories even as a toddler. They are mostly fuzzy with random thoughts except for those times when I paid attention to what was happening around me. One of those memories is of Peter becoming the secret keeper when mom and dad put up the fidelius charm."

I glance at Dumbledore to see him staring at me. "You are wondering about the spell professor?"

"Indeed. A most interesting spell."

"It's from one of the black family books, which Sirius gave me for Christmas."

"A good spell, Harry and could be useful in certain situations. But if I might be blunt, that was the wrong situation. The spell had a long incantation and took a few seconds to achieve the goal. A more worthy opponent wouldn't have given you a chance to get out that spell."

I sigh. "I was practicing it for a while and it was the first thing that came to mind."

Albus smiles. "It was your first magical duel if a short one. You will get better with experience."

He looks at his watch. "It is getting late. I shall bid you good night gentlemen." He strides out of the room.

* * *

The months pass by and the end of term is here. Our last two games were excellent. 6 weeks of practice before the quarters and a further 6 weeks before the semis has improved my seeking skills phenomenally. Moody, who was at both the matches with Sirius and Remus, gave good unbiased feedback and tips during the training sessions.

The match against Peru was considerably easy, while the match against the Irish was one of our toughest, especially for the chasers. The Irish chasers are among the best and it took a huge team effort to not lag behind them. The Irish seeker was a legend. The keyword being was. He's past his prime and more fixed in his ways.

Now we play Bulgaria in the final. Our chasers are better than theirs, so it will come down to the snitch. Viktor Krum against Harry Potter. The winner takes the cup. Gives me adrenaline whenever I think about it.

As promised, Minerva and Filius didn't give me any homework. Remus agreed to do the same. This freed up a considerable amount of time for my personal training. I stopped working on Hogwarts materials about 2 months back. Since then it was mostly wandless, elemental and nature magics.

I can do a weak wandless banisher at this stage including a strong levitation and summoning. I have learnt quite a few elemental and nature spells. Nature spells as Albus pointed out are cool, but are not meant in a one-on-one duel. Elemental spells are more useful, like creating shields using air, animals made of fire, and resistant to most dispelling spells, creating storms, gales and hail. It all depends on your magical power. Where Albus and Voldemort can create storms powerful enough to blow a fully-grown giant, I can create one, which can probably stagger Hagrid a few feet.

The more I work my magic, the stronger it will be. And it is true. Compared to last year I have much more power. My magic flows better. My senses have improved, which also helps in Quidditch.

Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup and Oliver was ecstatic. He will be leaving the school with the cup under his belt. He has signed a contract to play for Puddlemere United. I did get quite a few offers myself, but respectfully declined everyone. Playing for the national team was a blast. But after that playing for league team, just doesn't give me the same kick. There are so many things to learn and to do.

Remus resigned from his position, as the DADA professor after it came out that he's a werewolf. It coincidentally happened right after Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup. I wonder who was responsible for that. Remus was not too upset with it as he was planning on quitting anyways. It seems he only agreed to take the job to protect me from Sirius.

Snape has agreed to give me the eye-correcting potion, midway into August, two weeks before the start of the new term. My friends are doing much better overall. Ginny of course is the best of them all followed by Hermione and surprisingly Luna. Ron and Neville are doing about the same with Ron lacking motivation and Neville lacking confidence.

Everyone is excited about the coming world cup. Most of the Gryffindor house will be there to cheer me on.

Since I agreed to stay at the Dursleys for a month, Albus gave me a permanent portkey, which will take me to the stadium everyday. After the month, I will be staying with the team until the final, after which I will be staying with Sirius. He cleaned up his family home at Grimmauld place and had it renovated in the last few months.

Pettigrew was kissed about two months back after an official trial and a couple of attempts to breakout from the ministry holding cell. But the biggest news is about Barty Crouch who has gone missing after his house burned down with a house elf inside. I talked to Albus about it and he thinks that something is amiss and I agree with him.

I sit in a compartment with my friends as the Hogwarts Express rolls away toward London. I smile as I think of the coming summer.

* * *

AN: And that's the end of third year. The fourth year and much more interesting year is ahead of us. Please review. Expect the next chapter in a week or two. Thanks.


	9. Chapter 9

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 09**

Life has been peaceful the last few weeks. What with the threat of me performing magic and Sirius dropping by every weekend, the Dursleys are scared out of their socks. I don't really need to install a vacuum ward this time around as Albus expects me to perform magic as my underage license is valid until the world cup ends.

I got my third year results a few days back and as expected I topped every subject I took, including history, which I tied with Hermione. The rest of my group got good scores as well. The Quidditch training has been pretty rigorous. We train for 6 days a week, with Sunday off to relax the tired muscles.

During those days I train, I leave the house at 8 in morning and come back around 7 in the night. After that I am too tired to practice any magic. So mostly, I spend about 90 minutes in the morning practicing my speed casting and wandless magic to keep up my magic. After coming back at night I spend most of my time with my runic scheme to which I added a new dimension. I need to understand the workings of the Fidelius charm to get that right. The runic scheme, not only involves runes but a good bit of Arthemancy as well.

In a way Arthemancy is like Divinition. Instead of predicting events concerned with a person's life, we are predicting what happens when magic is released with a particular wand movement and intention or when two spells interact with each other or when two runes interact with each other. This is done to avoid spell damage that might occur when trying out a new spell or a runic work.

On Sundays, the one day I don't have Quidditch training, Sirius comes by and we spend the day together going to movies and such. He also drops off a week's supply of food, which is useful though I can always call Dobby if I need anything. It seems that a nurse at Smeltings ordered the Dursleys to put Dudley on a diet. So all he gets to eat is fruits.

Thank god for little mercies. I eat all my meals at the stadium and Sundays with Sirius. For in between snacks when I get hungry I eat the food, which Sirius dropped off and I stored in my own mini refrigerator.

Since I have little need for him, I loaned Dobby to Sirius who put him into good use at his house. Or so he says. I will be seeing it for the first time after the world cup.

I packed everything I have in my trunk. The one-month I needed to spend at #4 passed with as little interaction between the Dursleys and myself. Just the way I liked it. It's July 23rd and I will be spending the next 10 days at the stadium. After that we have a day to practice at the stadium and then the final on August 4th. I activate my portkey and am whisked away to my next great adventure.

* * *

I land in the room allocated to me by the team. I put away my trunk and remove my shirt to change into the Quidditch attire, when someone opens the door. I turn around to see Dorea smirking at me.

"Yum…"

I smirk back. "Enjoying the sights are you, Dorea?"

"Most certainly, Harry."

It kind of became a game between the two ladies on the team and myself. They tease me and I tease back.

I put on my shirt and am about to take off my pants, when I stop and turn around to face her. I raise my eyebrows. "Do you mind?"

She pouts but turns around. I shake my head and change into the right clothes.

"So what's up?"

"Coach asked to see if you are in yet. We have a team meeting in ten."

"Alright. Lets go." I pick my broom and head toward the door. Then, a very silly idea pops out of nowhere.

As Dorea turns around to head out of the door, I catch hold of her hand and in one smooth motion pull her toward me and kiss her right on her lips.

I am a cool 5 feet 8 inches, which is about the same as Dorea. My first kiss and it was perfect. Dorea hesitates at first, but then goes with the flow.

As I release her, I smirk at her. "How was that?"

She smiles back. "Tasty."

I return her smile. "Thanks for giving me my first kiss, Dorea."

"Your first kiss? Really?"

"Yep."

We head out of my room. We both know that we are just flirting with each other. But we enjoy it all the same. I finally hit puberty over the summer. I guess my lack of nutritious food for the better part of my life affected me in more ways than one.

With puberty came hormones and close proximity to such beautiful girls like Dorea and Monica, can be quite a distraction. The one bad aspect of it is to hear Sirius give me the TALK. It's not like I don't know what happens, but… Oh well. You can't win them all.

We enter the team room to see all the teammates and coach already there. We quickly join them and get the team meeting going.

Terrance, the coach, starts it off. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, to start with we will see a couple of matches the Bulgarians played at home last year."

He starts the Omnicular projector, which as the name suggested projects the images from an Omnicular on to a screen.

"Bulgarians make the game plan simple at the same time they are our toughest opponents. Their plays will revolve around Krum. If Krum catches the snitch, they win, if not, they don't. Their chasers don't really compare to us. And they know that. The chasers will mostly play defensive to make sure we don't get more than 150 points ahead of them. The beaters and Krum will concentrate on you, Harry. If they remove you from the picture, they have a clear shot at the title. I know I said all this a hundred times… Harry will concentrate only on the Snitch. Roderick and Hesper will work the bludgers as much in favor of Harry as possible. The chasers will aim for the 150 point lead. And Eric, you keep an eye on the snitch while you keep."

We all nod at the strategy, which as the coach said was drilled into our heads practically once every day for the past couple of months.

I stare at the screen as I see Viktor do a feint to get rid of his opponent and another where he blind-sided him into the stands. He also uses his muscles quite a bit to bump into the other seeker, which is a legal move. He is around 6 feet tall with about 180 pounds on him. He will have better maneuverability because of his weight. It's some what negated with the firebolt, which does react quite fast. He has the advantage of having a larger reach and I have the advantage of providing less resistance to wind.

The coach interrupts my thoughts. "Harry, you will work on the snitch with Thomas. Roderick and Hesper work the bludgers on Harry with the reserve team. 3 of them."

I groan at that. Great. 3 bludgers again and 4 beaters against little old me.

He points to the chasers. "You three will work the Quaffle with the reserve team. Lets get going."

* * *

On the day of my birthday, the team broke up at 4 instead of at 6. We are having a party after which, I will go to the Burrow for dinner with the Weasleys with Sirius.

The party was great. Dorea snogged me senseless as a birthday gift. The other team members gave me small gifts anywhere from auto quills to books. The team as a whole bought me my own Harry Potter toy. Joy.

I wave to the guys and step into the fireplace and floo to the "Burrow."

I step out of the fireplace to an empty living room. "Anyone home?"

I don't get a response and I take a couple of steps when Sirius steps out from behind a sofa and shouts "Surprise."

I roll my eyes at him and smile. "I already knew about the dinner, Sirius."

He scowls at me. "You could at least act the part."

He quickly smiles. "Come my Quidditch star of a godson, everyone's waiting outside."

Hermione, Remus, Alastor and the whole Weasley family are waiting outside including Ron's two elder brothers I never met.

Seeing me, Ron hurries over. "Hey mate. What took you so long? I am hungry."

Hermione rolls her eyes as she joins us. "You are always hungry Ron."

She hugs me. "How are you, Harry?"

"I am fine, Hermione. How was your trip?"

"It was great. Did you know there are wizarding sections in nearly every museum?"

"Really?" I of course didn't tell them about my trip to a few of these museums in Venice.

"Yes…"

"Leave him alone, Hermione." He turns and whispers to me, "Harry, did you know Mad-Eye Moody?"

"Alastor? Yeah, sure. He's kind of guarding me in case and of Malfoy cronies decide to take of piece of me."

Ron looks at me awed. "Blimey."

Hermione rolls her eyes. "Harry, did you meet Bill and Charlie?"

This gets Ron moving and he introduces me to his two elder brothers.

Charlie shakes my hand. "It's good to meet you finally Harry. I saw your match against Ireland. You were brilliant."

"Thanks, Charlie. That was a good game."

"Excited about the final?"

"Excited, thrilled and terrified."

He slaps me on the back. "Don't worry, mate. You will do just fine. Bill and I took leave to watch the match. It's been a long time since England played in the final."

"Thanks."

I turn to face Bill. "Bill, you are a curse breaker right?"

"Yeah, Harry. Why, interested in that career?"

I nod. "Yeah. But the reason I ask is in this parchment."

I show him in the Peverell Parchment. "Did you ever see a rune like this?"

He takes the parchment and head toward an empty chair where he settles down and checks the rune in detail. "Hmmm… Where did you find it?"

"In my family vault."

He nods and stares at the rune for a while. "Sorry Harry. Never saw anything like it before. Can I keep this for future reference?"

"I rather not. Can you make a copy of it?"

He nods and does the same. "I'll let you know if anything comes up."

"Thanks. Just don't tell anyone where you got it."

He nods and we continue with our dinner. I glance around to see Ginny sitting a few chairs to my right talking animatedly with Bill. She grew up over the summer and is looking good. Once we get to Hogwarts, I will have to spend some time with her. She is one of the only few people who knows about my secrets and I can talk to freely.

I hear Sirius snicker from my left and turn to face him. He has a smirk on his face and he murmurs to me. "You know your father once said that, Potter men have a weakness for red heads."

"Oh! What about Blondes and Brunettes? I was thinking of starting a harem you know."

Sirius barks a laugh and wipes a fake tear. "My godson is so manly."

I roll my eyes at him and glance at the others staring at us. "Don't mind him. He has gone mad."

He replies back with a high-pitched girly voice. "You are being a meany."

"And you are acting like a little girl."

He puffs up in indignation. "I am not a little girl. I am Sirius Black."

"And the difference is?"

"I am a man."

"Thanks captain obvious. How's the house coming along?"

His face lights up with a true smile. "It's unrecognizable. I got rid of all the junk. Fresh paint, new furniture, the whole deal. Thanks for loaning Dobby. He's been great help. Better than my filthy family house elf."

"Any news on Crouch."

"None. And I don't really care." I can see where he's coming from. I don't really care for him as well, but I rather know what happened.

After that we move on to opening my presents. I told Sirius not to get me anything extravagant. But as expected he didn't listen and got me a complete dragon hide wardrobe. At least he had the sense to give it to me before I came to the Weasleys. The rest of them gave me their usual gifts from candy to a shield ring. It was a relaxing night and I am glad I got to spend a birthday with my friends and family.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen… welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch world cup!"

That introduction got the whole stadium going. 100,000 wizard and witches screaming and clapping can be quite a thing to hear. I stand with my team waiting for the introductions to start.

First comes the Bulgarian team mascots, Veelas if I am right. We did see them yesterday while we were practicing in the stadium. Next the English mascots, which is a combination of all the different English & Irish Quidditch league teams mascots, from Barny the fruit bat to Leprechauns. Not entirely original are they. But unlike most European countries we do not take pride in our magical population, only witches and wizards.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome- the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you – Dimitrov! Ivanova! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaand – Krum!"

With a particular essence played to Krum. A sound like a firecracker and the crowd or at least the Bulgarian part of the crowd takes up the chant. "Krum! Krum! Krum!"

"And now please greet – The English National Quidditch Team!"

We get ready as we get on our brooms. This is it.

Osmosis, the captain, murmurs to us. "Good luck boys and girls."

"Presenting - Toole! Melcose! McDoogal! Smith! Twonk! Beamish! Aaaannnd – Our very own Boy Who Lived! Haaaarrryyy Potter…"

We zoom into the stadium to see Viktor's image flying up above. One by one we take a lap around the stadium. I do a sloth grip roll and a cartwheel. I end the show with my traditional broom surfing stunt. As I stand on the broom facing a crowd of 100,000, I take out my wand and point it into the sky.

'CRACK'. I release an image of a lightning bolt. The English crowd cheers and takes up my name as a chant. "Potter… Potter… Potter…" I spy my friends and family in the top box and zoom toward them. I give the wand to Sirius and fly back to the team.

The referee is introduced as an Egyptian wizard and chairwizard to the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa.

A small skinny wizard, completely bald but with a mustache to rival Vernon's, wearing golden robes strides into the stadium with a broom in one hand and a box in another. He gets on to the broom and kicks the box open when 4 balls sped out of it. And the game begins.

"Theeeeyre OFF!" And I cut rest of the commentary out of my mind. I take to the sky moving around, keeping an eye on Viktor and the game in general.

Smith gets the first goal in opening the English account. And from there on the game turns brutal. Half the times the bludgers are directed at me and the other half to disrupt the chaser formations.

30 minutes into the game, English lead by 80 to 20. And then I see Viktor who was close by go into a dive. I follow him down. Faster and faster until we are flying at top speeds.

As I reach him, I get second thoughts and pull up. I shouldn't have been able to reach him that easily if he got a head start. This was a feint.

After seeing me pull up, Viktor does the same. I smile at him and yell "Better luck next time." And I speed off looking for the snitch escaping a couple of bludgers on the way.

And with that English chasers tore into the defensive strategies of the Bulgarians. In no time at all we are leading by 110 points.

And the game got dirtier as well. The Bulgarian keeper elbowed Dorea hard in the face making her drop the Quaffle. But we did get a foul out of it and a goal.

Followed by a couple more fouls when the Bulgarian beaters interfered with the referee for wanting to send the distracting veela mascot away from the stadium.

With those two goals, the score reads 160 to 30. And then Viktor and I saw the snitch at the same time. And as luck will have it, he was closer. We raced toward the snitch, which is hovering 20 feet from the ground. I will not reach it in time. I slide myself over the broom, freeing my legs and inch closer to the tip of the handle. As Viktor is 3 feet from catching it, I swing myself from the broom, holding it with only one hand. I twist my grip on the broom and give the snitch a mighty hit with my leg. I land with my legs on the broom and pull up immediately in my traditional broom surfing style.

Of course it was a illegal move and the referee blew the whistle. The Bulgarians got 3 fouls and they got two goals in. The score reads 160 to 50. But at least the snitch is not lost.

And the game continues fiercely. The foul didn't win me any friends in the Bulgarian team, especially the beaters as they concentrated solely on me. I spent the next 15 minutes escaping the bludgers while the English chasers got in 4 more goals giving us a 150 point lead.

Realizing what was happening, the beaters went back to disrupt the chaser formations leaving me alone with Krum.

I lean forward on my broom and speed up toward the stands. As I get closer, I spy Viktor a hands distance from me. And 5 feet from the stand I pull up. I think that was when Viktor realized it was a feint and stopped just in time. Got to appreciate his skill. Any other player and he would have ploughed right into the stands.

As I turn around to look for the snitch, a bludger whacks into my hand, breaking it cleanly. I grit my teeth as my eyes water in pain. I managed with a broken hand in second year. I could do the same.

That's when I see Viktor going for the snitch. I race after him. We have a 150-point lead, but in the final who ever catches the snitch wins.

He is at least half a foot ahead of me. I can't do any of my moves, not with a broken hand. There is only one thing left to do. I inch closer and closer to the tip of the broom using my good hand. And finally when we are about 4 feet from the snitch I push myself of the broom. With the additional velocity provided by my push combined with gravity, I caught the snitch, half a second before Viktor would have.

I push the feelings of joy away as I have another problem to take care off. I am plummeting 10 feet to the ground at incredible speed. I can't accio the broom as it has anti summoning charms on it. I push all my power into a wandless levitation and it provides me with enough resistance to slow down so that when I hit the ground, I have enough cushioning to avoid serious injury. But the momentum was enough to drag me for a few feet on the ground scraping me raw.

I turn around to lie on my back. I stare at the night sky with blood pounding into my heart. I slowly check myself for any other injuries. Except for the broken hand and the raw skin, I am fine. My heartbeat slows down. My hearing comes back again. The stadium is deathly quite. And I smile to myself. I just won the worldcup with an incredibly dangerous move.

I slowly get to my feet. I look around the stadium to see everyone starting down at me. I raise the snitch above me for the world to see it. And the stadium explodes into cheers.

"He caught the snitch. Harry Potter jumped of his broom and has caught the snitch. ENGLAND WINS."

The team took a victory lap around the stadium with the mascots, after the mediwizard did a quick patch job on me. After that we all troop into the top box for the presentation ceremony.

"Let's have a really loud applause for the gallant losers – Bulgaria!"

The Bulgarians walk into the box to applause and they receive their runner up rings. Krum gets a round of applause and he deserves it.

"And now comes the World Quidditch Champions – England." The stadium explodes with wild applause.

The Top box is filled with both English and Bulgarian Ministry officials. I see the Weasleys, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Sirius, Remus, Alastor and Albus and grin at them. I have scratches all over my face and it's quite bloody. But nonetheless, what a moment.

I receive my ring from the minister who looks nervously at me. "Hello minister."

I shake hands with the Bulgarian minister and then I put on the ring and face the crowd who give a thunderous applause.

Finally, Osmosis lifts the Quidditch cup and we join in to hold it.

As we leave the box, I meet Krum's eyes and he nods to me. I nod back.

I turn to face my friends, when I get a hug from Sirius, followed by Hermione and Ginny.

The rest of them pat me on my back. "Well done, Harry. Well done."

* * *

After the ceremony, I got my arm and the scrapes on my body fixed and had a hot water bath to sooth the muscles.

Many fans greeted me on the way to Sirius' tent. On reaching it, I saw him gathered around with the Weasleys, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Remus and Alastor who spotted me instantly with his magical eye.

"Potter's here."

"Hey guys."

"HARRY. How could you be stupid enough to jump of your broom?" Hermione starts off on her rant.

"I knew I could take care of myself and was not going to loose the worldcup over a couple of broken bones."

Hermione huffs and sits down. Sirius puts a hand around my shoulders. "I know you can take care of yourself, Harry. But you gave us a mighty fright."

"I know. But I did what I had to do." I add picking up a bottle of butter bear.

I see Alastor and he nods at me with a smile. He was never a man of too many words. I see another female sitting near Sirius. Seeing my gaze, she smiles at me. "Hey, Harry… I am Tonks."

"She's my cousin Andromeda's daughter. Nymphodra Tonks. She an Auror."

Her hair turns red and she swats Sirius on his hand. "I said call me Tonks."

I raise my eyebrows at her. "You are a metaphore."

"Yep."

"It must be quite useful in your line of work."

She smiles brilliantly. "It is."

I nod to her when I spy the twins ambling toward me with a smile.

"How much did you guys make?"

"Enough Harrykins. Here's your winnings."

"Thanks." I take my winnings with joy. I made good money today.

"Hey godson, did you bet on yourself?"

"Yep."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Ron pitches in. "Yeah, mate. We all could have made some money."

I roll my eyes at them. "And if I lost?"

We argue about it for a while before we all decide to turn in.

Ron, Neville, Sirius, Remus, Tonks and I will be sleeping in Sirius' tent, while the rest will be bunking in the Weasley's tent.

As I lie on my bed and stare up at the canvas ceiling of the tent, I couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to celebrate with my parents. To feel their joy and pride in their 14-year-old son who won England its first worldcup in over 70 years.

I murmur to myself. "Isn't that something for someone who lived for most of his life in a cupboard under the stairs."

* * *

As I slip into dreams, a hand shakes me awake. I open my eyes to see Sirius looking strained. "Get up, Harry."

I wake up and put on my glasses." What's up?"

"We need to go."

That's when I hear screams coming from outside. I quickly dress up while Sirius wakes Ron and Neville. We walk out and join Hermione, Luna and the Weasleys.

I see a group of people slowly marching toward us with their wands pointed upwards and laughing. As they come near I recognize their costumes. "Death Eaters." I spit out. My wand jumps into my hand from the holster.

They have the muggle Mr. Roberts, the camp manager, and his family up in the air doing antiques. Seeing a young boy of 5, being treated like that got my blood boiling.

"That's sick", Ron mutters. And I quite agree with him.

"We are going to help the ministry," says Mr. Weasley. He points to us. "You lot, get into the woods and stay together."

A green light highlights the scene as more and more people join the Death Eaters; making there numbers swell to over 3-dozen. As they march they destroy the tents with fire.

Sirius, Alastor, and the Weasleys, including Percy run toward the oncoming crowd.

"Come on," said Fred grabbing Ginny and pulling her toward the wood. We follow them into the wood and look back to see the crowd much larger as Ministry wizards are having a problem getting to the death eaters.

I fume under my breath. "This is stupid."

I turn to face my friends. "Alright everyone. Remember what I thought you. Ginny, disillusion yourself, Hermione and Luna. George, Fred, you both do the same for yourself, Ron and Neville."

I disillusion myself as they follow my instructions. "Right. Maintain the charm as much as you can. When you feel exhausted, drop it and move back. Ron, Neville, Hermione and Luna, I want the four of you to cast Absolvos in concentric fashion, one after the other."

They do the same. "Let's teach these idiots a lesson."

I conjure a net and convert it into a portkey. Then, I swish my wand in a wide arc. I watch the scene as slowly stones turn to various animals like Lions, wolfs, dogs and snakes.

I send them toward the crowd with directions not to harm anyone… permanently. As the groups of animals reach the crowd, the 6 lions roar in union deafening the crowd to silence.

The animals run toward the stunned crowd crossing a few ministry wizards and witches. The animals reach the crowd and attack them. Seeing that, the death eaters fire curses at them killing a few. But this gets the required result of loosening their hold on the muggle family. As soon as I saw the death eaters firing cures I banish the conjured net toward the family.

As the muggle family plummets to the ground, the net catches them and I activate it mentally. The family disappears and appears right beside us, mentally traumatized, but physically fine.

I quickly stun the 4 of them.

"HARRY."

I hear one of my friends shout and turn around to see a few death eaters sending curses in our general direction. The first round of curses are absorbed into the first shield before it fades away. Seeing this, they send more dangerous curses like the two Cruiciatus, heading toward us right now.

I quickly conjure two slabs of marble to intercept them. I grit my teeth. "You want to play that game do you? Then, eat this."

I send a score of blasters, cutters and bone breakers. As they go defensive, I point my wand at the sky and mutter "_Offendo Astrum Lux Lucis"_ and point my wand to a spot 10 feet away from the death eaters, where a brilliant bolt of lightning strikes the ground.

Any closer and they will be fried without an appropriate shield. Now, they are just thrown to the ground and mildly electrified. This is among the handful of Elemental spells, which Voldemort knows off.

Finally the ministry wizards start taking control-sending stunners toward the fallen death eaters. Then, I feel a green glow flooding from the sky. I look up to see the dark mark clearly visible in the distance. Seeing the mark, many people start screaming and running away. In the following confusion the death eaters portkey away with their fallen companions.

"Alright. Drop the shields, keep the disillusions and let's get out of here." On the way I send a miniature messenger Patronus to Sirius telling him where the muggle family is.

After we reach a safe area, we drop the disillusionment charms and wait for the adults to join us. I glance up at the dark mark floating in the sky.

"And so it begins."

"What is that?" I hear Ron whisper.

Hermione answers him. "The Dark Mark. You-Know-Who's Mark."

"Bloody Hell."

"What happened today, stays between us. No one else needs to know." I tell them, still staring up at the mark. They all accept in one-way or the other.

"What's that spell you used, Harry?" asks Ginny.

"Lightning, also called as star light. A high level elemental spell. Very potent. Very dangerous."

"Did you learn it from the books you for Christmas?" asks Hermione.

I nod, still staring at the sky.

"Will you teach us, Harry?"

I shake my head no.

"Why not?"

I turn to face the twins who asked that question.

"Because none of you are strong enough to handle such magics."

As they open their mouths to argue, I raise my hand stopping them. "In the last one year alone I practiced for over 1000 hours to increase my magical strength and control. Even now, if I were to try the same spell 3 to 4 times in a row, it will render me unconscious and if I were to lose control of the spell, it will turn against me, and kill me."

They stare at me open mouthed. Just then, Sirius and Mr. Weasley came by running.

Mr. Weasley hugs Ginny. "You are all alright? No injuries?"

We shake our heads and they lead us toward the tent. Sirius holds me back briefly. "Did you conjure the lightning?"

I raise my eyebrows. "Really Sirius, of all the people here, you ask a 14 year old if he conjured lightning?"

He smiles. "You are not any 14 year old are you? And I already saw you using couple of elemental spells."

I nod to him. "Keep to yourself will you?"

He nods back and we enter the tent to see everyone in a somber mood. Bill is clutching an injured hand, while Percy has a bloody nose.

"Dad, did you catch whoever conjured the mark?"

"No, they were already gone."

Ron looks exasperated. "But what's with the mark? Why all the ruckus about a bloody mark, which is not hurting anyone."

Hermione scowls at him. "Language Ron. And I already told you it was the dark mark. You-know-who's mark. I read about it in the Raise and fall of the dark arts."

I smile at the two as do the rest of the adults.

"But You-know-who is gone…"

Sirius interrupts. "He is… But the mark hasn't been seen since Halloween of 81."

Here he glances at me to find me staring at the ceiling.

Arthur pitches in. "You-know-who and his death eaters, conjured the mark whenever they killed someone. It inspired terror like none other."

He continues in a low voice. "Imagine coming home and finding the mark…" He shakes his head and takes a huge gulp of water lying nearby.

"But why did they run away after seeing the mark?"

"Because they are probably more afraid than us of you-know-who coming back. Remember, these are the same supporters who lied saying he forced them to commit the crimes."

"But did anyone see who conjured the lightning and got the muggles free?"

No one answers, while a few eyes glance at me.

I stare at Bill's bleeding hand. "Do you not know any healing spells, Bill?"

He shakes his head. "No Harry. Never saw the need to. We always have one professional healer or the other in our team."

I nod and reach for his hand. He raises his eyebrows in surprise. I clean his hand and scan for any magical residue. Finding none, I do a simple sealing spell, which closed the wound with only a fine scar.

I hear Hermione doing the same for Percy's nose.

"Impressive, Harry. Where did you learn that?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Thought it would be wise to know a couple of healing spells in case I need them. You know Quidditch and all…"

I doubt anyone believes the answer. But no one really cares about it at 3 in the morning.

Alastor drops by a few minutes later. He and Bill setup wards on the two tents and we all got into bed to get some sleep.

Things are happening fast. First Crouch goes missing and his house burnt down. And now a death eater attack after 13 years of absence.

* * *

The next day we woke up bright and early and left to grab a portkey back to Ottery St. Catchpole. On the way we got a nice "Merry Christmas" from Mr. Roberts. Poor guy. I wish we didn't have to memory charm him.

As we reach the Burrow, Molly came running out and hugged Arthur and then choked the twins nearly to their graves.

We had a nice breakfast where Arthur pointed out that the Ministry would be in a load of trouble over yesterday's events. I agree with him and also with the paper. The Ministry should have had better security.

After breakfast it was time for Sirius and myself to leave for his house. I promise Ron and Hermione that I will be by in a couple of days.

We step out of the Burrow and beyond the wards, when Sirius turns to face me. "Ready?"

"You are going to Apparate me?"

He nods and then smirks. "At least for now. I am sure you can apparate yourself after I key you into the wards."

"Alright. But can you first take me to Godrics Hollow?"

He looks down at me surprised. "You have never been there before?"

I shake my head no. At that he mutters something under his breath.

"Hold on."

And then we disappear with a pop -

- To appear in a little lane. We kept walking, with me following Sirius.

"Have you been here after you got out?" I asked.

"Yeah."

We walk on silently, until the little lane curved to the left leading to the heart of the village, which is bustling with activity. We pass several shops, including a post office and a grocery store. The inhabitants take a moment to stare at our new faces.

"Does the village still have any magical population?"

"There are a few, Harry. If I am right, Bathilda Bagshot the author of 'History of magic' lives some where around here. The Dumbledore family once lived here. Your family had a big mansion not far from here, but it was burnt down during the first war."

I remember that. Voldemort headed that attack, nearly killed Grandfather and Grandmother. They escaped but from what I gathered, died soon after due to old age.

In the distance we see a war memorial. As we pass it, it transforms and I stop to stare at the statues of three people. A man with untidy hair and glasses, a woman with long hair and a kind, pretty face, and a baby boy sitting in his mother's arms. A happy baby with no scar on his forehead. Sirius puts a hand on my shoulder as I stare at what could have been.

I turn around and continue walking toward the graveyard I spy in the distance with Sirius following me closely.

I open the gate and enter the graveyard. I spy a couple at the other end. Other than that, it's empty. Sirius takes the lead and I follow him through many graves with names that are familiar. One in particular, Kendra Dumbledore and her daughter Ariana.

We finally reach our destination and I stare at a headstone made of marble, with the letters engraved upon it clearly visible.

James Potter, Born 27 March 1960, Died 31 October 1981

Lily Potter, Born 30 January 1960, Died 31 October 1981

_The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death._

I wonder what it means.

Staring at their graves, suddenly the memories of times long gone by, return. The memories of a childhood spend in a dark cupboard not knowing what happened to the people who loved me. Of the nights I wished and prayed for someone to take me away. For someone to love me. All the time here lay two people who gave me unconditional love. The two people who sacrificed themselves so that I can live.

Hot tears escape my eyes. I feel a tight sensation in my chest. Like I am suffocating. I feel a hand on my shoulder.

I take huge gulps of air, and steady myself. I kneel down beside them and touch their headstones. The surface feels cool to my hand. I take out my wand and transfigure a small stone into a crystal box. I place the snitch I caught yesterday in it and then merge it with the headstone right below my parents' names.

"I love you mom and dad. I love you so much."

I stood up, turn around and walk away feeling the weight of their sacrifice.

As we step back into the village square, Sirius leads me down a lane. And I see the reason why. At the end of the row of houses, stands an abandoned and partially destroyed house.

We approach it and stand before it. The hedge has grown wild since that fateful night. Most of the house is still standing, but covered with ivy. The right side of the top floor is blown apart. Probably where the curse backfired on Voldemort.

Sirius touches the gate and a wooden sign slowly rises out of the ground in front of us. I move closer to read the golden letters printed on it.

_On this spot, on the night of 31__st__ of October 1981, Lily and James Potter lost their lives. Their son, Harry, remains the only wizard ever to have survived the killing curse. This house, invisible to muggles, has been left in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters and as a reminder of the violence that tore apart a family_

And all around these words are scribbles added by witches and wizards wishing me luck.

"If you want to remove the enchantments…"

"No Sirius. Let it be. It's the right kind of tribute to my parents. A tribute to their sacrifice."

As I gaze at the wooden plank, I can think of one word. "A tribute to hope."

He smiles at that. "Yeah. I think they would like that. A tribute to hope…"

I match his smile and take hold of his hand. "Lets go."

We disappear with a pop and then appear in a hallway with fresh paint smell. He leads me into the house. You can still see some signs of it being dreary at one point.

"Let me show you to your room, first."

We climb up the stairs to the third floor with only three doors on it. We walk to the farthest door and Sirius opens it.

I step inside to see a good-sized bedroom with a king size four-poster bed in the center. The room comes with an attached bathroom, tub and all. I have my own bookshelf already half stocked with books, a study table, a couple of couches near a huge window and a big clothes closet. I walk to the closet and open it to see it half stocked with clothes of all kind. Brand new ones too.

I shake my head. "Really Sirius. Did you have to buy all these?"

He waves me off. "I don't think you realize how reach the Blacks are, Harry. I have over 200 million galleons sitting in a vault collecting dust."

I roll my eyes and smile at him. "Whatever… But thanks, Sirius. This is brilliant."

He smiles widely at that. He points to the bookshelf. "I stocked it with some good books from the vault I thought you'd like."

I nod to him and put my trunk near the bed. "Lets look at the rest of the house."

We walk out of the room and he opens the second door. "This is my room. The master suite of the house, I guess." It's slightly larger than my room with an extra window.

The third room is a room about the same size as mine. "I thought Remus could stay in here. I asked him, but he absolutely disagreed." He looks kind of disappointed. "Says he has to find a job and all that rot."

We step on to the fourth floor, which has a nice balcony with a view of London. The second floor has 5 more bedrooms, and two bathrooms much smaller than ours. The first floor has the kitchen with house elf quarters, a large living room, a large dining room and a small Library. "Most of the noteworthy books are still in the vault, Harry. These books are good, but are not the best of the lot."

I nod to him and we move on to the final level, the basement, which has three rooms. The first of which is a potions room. Sirius opens the second door to show a cushioned room prepared as a jail cell. I glance back at him. "For Remus?"

He nods. "Yeah, as your dad put it, for his furry little problem."

We leave the room and he pauses at the final door. He smirks at me. "I think you will like this." He opens the door and I see a huge dueling chamber within. I walk inside and gaze around. It has the traditional dueling platform with wards to protect onlookers from stray spells as well as a spell shooting range with gauzes to measure effectiveness and accuracy and a dodging circle.

"You are right, Sirius. This is brilliant."

I turn to face him with a smile, wand in hand. "How about a duel?"

"You are on."

After 30 minutes of dueling, we retire to the dining room.

"Dobby."

"Sirius Black Sir, called?"

He looks up to see Sirius and myself drenched in sweat. "Harry Potter, Sir, " he squeals in delight. I smile back at him. "Hey Dobby, how have you been?"

"The great Harry Potter sir asks how poor Dobby is doing? He is truly great. Dobby is doing great, Harry Potter Sir."

"Good. Can you get myself and Sirius something cool to drink?"

He bows and pops away.

As we drink the butter bears, I ask Sirius what he things of my dueling capabilities.

"For a fourteen year old, you are brilliant Harry. But compared to a good Auror or… say an inner circle death eater, 1 to 100, your spell knowledge is around 80s, your reflexes and casting speed are in upper 90s, spell selection is around lower 70s and power is around upper 80s. The one thing you really need to improve upon is your accuracy, which I would say is around 50s."

I agree with him except for the first point. I of course have more combat knowledge than I showcased.

"You can take on 90% of the wizards and witches and come out good. But we are not aiming to be part of that 90% are we…"

I nod to him. "Right. Not that 90%."

"I think you are taking care of the knowledge part yourself. Just keep up the reflexes and speed. Spell selection will come with experience, so will accuracy. We can work on those two this summer and Flitwick will help you during school."

"Alright. I am going to go take a bath."

"Hang on… There is one more character you need to meet."

"Kreacher."

An old dirty house elf pops in and bows. "Master called."

"Yes. This is Harry Potter, my godson and heir to the house of Black. You will treat him with respect."

He looks at me and bows all the while muttering to himself. "Kreacher will serve half-blood master. Kreacher has no choice."

I stare at him with a scowl. A memory not of my life kicks in… "You are the Black family house elf?"

"Yes, master."

"Look up at me."

He looks and I stare at him connecting him to the elf in my memory. He's the same elf. How did he survive?

He gets anxious seeing my penetrating gaze. "You can leave."

After he pops away, Sirius asks me in confusion. "What is it, Harry?"

"We need to talk Sirius. But I need some more information before we do that."

He shrugs. "Let me know. I will help in anyway possible."

I nod. I get up to leave to my room.

"Oh! I am going out. I will be back later in the day. I am helping Arthur with some stuff."

"Alright. If I am sleeping, wake me up."

* * *

I soak in the bathtub. My body still aches from the rough night of Quidditch. I think back to Voldemort's memory of Kreacher where he left him for dead.

I get out of the bathroom, dry myself and put on clothes. Before I talk to Sirius I need to know what happened with Kreacher.

"Kreacher."

He pops in. "Little half-blood master called?"

I point him to a sofa. "Sit."

He hesitates, but obeys.

I gaze at him. "How did you survive, Kreacher?"

"Kreacher does not understand what little master means?"

"Voldemort left you in the cave to die, Kreacher. How did you survive?"

He looks at me astonished. "How does master know this?"

"I know many secrets Kreacher… But what I don't know is how you survived after drinking the potion and being left to die on the island."

Kreacher fidgets. "Answer me Kreacher."

"Master Regulus called and I went to him."

Regulus Black. Sirius' brother if I am right. He was a good follower of Voldemort, but was not part of the inner circle. I wonder what happened to him?

"You can go anywhere if your master called?"

"Not many places ward against house-elves."

I nod to him. "And what happened to Regulus?"

Here he bursts out into tears. In between tears, he explains how he told Regulus what the dark lord did and how Regulus ordered Kreacher to take him to the island.

"Then master Regulus ordered poor Kreacher to make him drink the potion." Here he bursts out into tears. I feel sad for him. But I need the whole story.

"Go on Kreacher."

"After master Regulus drank the horrible potion, he ordered Kreacher to take the locket and leave him. Kreacher had to follow master Regulus' orders… Kreacher had to follow master Regulus' orders…"

The final resting place of Regulus Black, the younger son of the most ancient house of Black, is at the bottom of the lake with the Inferi. What an end.

I shake my head and turn back to face Kreacher. I put a hand on his shoulder. "What happened to the locket, Kreacher? The locket Regulus asked you to take from the cave, what happened to it?"

"Master Regulus, ordered Kreacher to destroy it. Kreacher tried everything he knew, but could not destroy it. Kreacher failed master Regulus' orders."

I sigh. "You wouldn't be able to destroy it Kreacher. Very few can."

He looks up at me with wide eyes. "Where is the locket?"

Here he scowls. "Blood traitor master Sirius took it away. He ordered Kreacher not to touch anything and he took everything away."

Blast it, what have you done with it, Sirius?

* * *

AN: And that's the end of chapter 9. An early release. Call it my tribute to HBP being out today.


	10. Chapter 10

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 10**

I planned on having a short nap after bath, but it seems that's not to be. I can't get my mind to rest. Sirius took the locket Horcrux to do god knows what.

I count the number of Horcruxs in my head.

Diary – Destroyed

My scar – Destroyed

Lady Rowena's Diadem – Destroyed

Lady Helga's goblet – Lestrange's vault

Lord Slytherin's locket - Missing

Gaunt Ring – At the shack

Voldemort – Spirit

I wonder if something similar to the locket happened to the goblet and the ring. Did Voldemort create Horcruxs after that Halloween? Is it possible to create one in wraith like form? Is he still in that form?

These are some of the questions plaguing my mind. And there is one more thing. Voldemort willingly had his memories of 2 years oblivated from his life. Why?

I pause in my thought as I hear someone entering the sound. I race from the library to the hallway to see Sirius hanging up his coat. He sees me and waves cheerily.

"Hey godson. What's up?"

"Sirius, do you remember a gold locket with a snake symbol on it when you cleaned the house?"

He thinks about it? "I'm not too sure, Harry… There were many things like that."

I want to punch someone. Then I get an idea. I rake my memory to get the exact image of locket and then conjure a tin version of it. "This is what it would look like."

He examines it closely. "Huh! Yeah, I did see it and got rid of it. Why?"

"How Sirius? How did you get rid of it?"

Hearing the urgency in my voice he answers carefully. "I had the Black account manager, Drumboar, check the items for curses and sell them."

"When was this?"

"About three months back. What's the matter Harry? What's so important about this locket?"

"Are you sure he sold it?"

"Yes, he already deposited the money in my personal account. Now will you tell me what the matter is?"

My shoulders slump in resignation. We lost the Horcrux. I knew I had to tell Sirius about my memories, which I planned to anyways. But not this soon.

"Let's go to the library, Sirius. There is much to talk about."

We settle down in the library and I raise a couple of powerful privacy wards.

"Do you have any skill Occlumency, Sirius?"

He nods. "One of the few good things, which came from being part of the Black family. We were thought to protect our mind and the family secrets at a very young age. It helped a lot keeping me sane in Azkaban."

"Do you mind if I test them?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know how you know all these magics, Harry, but go ahead."

"You will know soon enough, but I need to make sure your mind is secure."

He nods and I point my wand at him. "_Leglimens._"

I put quite a bit of my power in trying to break them, to no avail. I let go of the curse when we both start to sweat from the exertion.

"Great shields, Sirius."

"Thanks and now I have a headache."

He closes his eyes for a minute to get rid of the headache. He opens his eyes and nods, asking me to lead.

"Alright. Now, do you know what a Horcrux is?"

He shakes his head no and I explain to him how Voldemort split his soul at least 6 times and put them in different containers. I tell him that for him to die, all the 6 containers have to be destroyed. I leave my doubts aside for now.

He looks shocked. "And this locket is a Horcrux?"

Seeing me nod, he looks anguished. "But how did a Horcrux get here?"

His eyes widen as he realizes the answer. "Regulus?"

I nod and tell him what happened as relayed to me by Kreacher.

He holds his head in dismay. "Regulus, my poor brother. He sacrificed himself for that filthy jewel and here I lost it."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't know Sirius. You never expected something belonging to Voldemort in your house."

He nods slowly and looks me in the eyes. "How do you know all this, Harry?"

"As I told you there are seven pieces of Voldemort's soul. At least that last I know of. Slytherin's locket, Huffelpuff's cup, Ravenclaw's diadem, Gaunt's ring, Riddle's diary, The soul within Voldemort's wraith and finally…"

I point to my scar. "My scar… Which he made into an Horcrux accidentally."

Sirius looks stricken. He shakes his head continuously. "No… No… It can't be."

"Sirius…"

He doesn't hear me. I slap him hard on the face. "Sirius."

That gets his attention. "There's more to it. I destroyed three of these Horcruxs. My scar, the diary and the diadem."

"You destroyed them?"

I nod.

He smiles in relief. "That's great."

I smile back. "Yes, it is. But when I destroyed it, I got the magic attached to the soul piece. That's the reason why I am able to speak parseltongue and also learn spells faster. Most of the spells I am performing, Voldemort already did and they leave an imprint on your magic. That was transferred to me as well. Are you with me so far?"

"Yeah. So you got rid of the soul, but kept his magic?"

"Yes. But I also got all his memories up to the time he fired the killing curse at me."

"All his memories?"

"All of them."

"Then, you saw him killing…"

"My parents? Yes."

I add softly as the memory floats into my mind. "One of the only clear memories I have of them."

He closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I am sorry you had to see that, Harry."

"Don't be. I am rather proud of the fight dad gave him."

Sirius smiles proudly. "He was one of the best duelists in the force."

We sit their silently reminiscing the past.

"So, what now?"

I am kind of lost. "I don't know, Sirius. We need destroy the remaining three Horcruxs. One is missing now. One is in a high security Gringotts vault. The last Horcrux has a dangerous curse on it, one that can't be dispelled or countered. If we do go to get it, we need to be very careful.

He nods in thought. "First things first. I will try to get information on who bought the locket and the status of the Lestrange vault. Maybe as Lord Black I can access it."

I nod to his suggestions and he looks shrewdly at me. "So you have all his knowledge, huh?"

I smile and nod. "All of it."

He claps his hands and rubs them eagerly. "Brilliant."

* * *

In a way, I released some of my burden by telling Sirius. I have at least one adult helping me. After lunch I slept for a few hours to recover from the final. The worldcup was one hell of ride with a perfect ending.

I get to the dueling room and do some target practice. The target range is similar to shooting range where one unloads their guns.

There are two parts to the range. One where you can measure how effective a spell is. That is, will your cutter scratch the opponent or will it take their head off. The count is from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most effective.

The second part is where you practice your accuracy. The targets vary between human sized targets which, move about in varied directions and spell balls which the range conjures every few seconds.

The dodging circle is a 12-foot circular area, which once activated will provide a wooden target in the shape of dueling wizard for a period of time before it vanishes and appears somewhere else within the circle. The moment it appears, it shoots paint balls in different colors, which represent different spells, like green represents the Killing Curse, Dark red, Cruciatus and so on. My job is to not get hit with any of the paint spells and then in turn fire back and hit the target.

Voldemort of course didn't go through this kind of training. His tutors mostly hit him with a Cruciatus if he failed. Of course once he learned everything he can, and once he was sure he can do it, he killed them all.

I play around for a couple of hours to get used to the kind of training I will be going through for the next 3 weeks or so. By the time I am finished, I am covered with all kinds of colors. I turn around to see Sirius laughing his head off. The range has a silencing charm around it and hence I can't hear a thing.

I step out of it to hear his bark like laughter.

"Ha ha, laugh it up."

"You look colorful, Harry."

I roll my eyes. "Do you really make up such witty comments, Sirius?"

"Whatever kid, I am not the one who looks like a Rainbow."

That does it. I launch an _Augumenti_ at him, drenching him in water.

As he splutters, I walk out of the room with a smirk on my face. I quickly change out of my paint covered clothes and meet Sirius for dinner.

I take a bite out of my chicken and look up at Sirius. "So, what happened at Gringotts?"

"Not much. It seems he sold most of the stuff including the locket to a wandering merchant. And there is no way to contact the merchant until he comes back for a visit. At that time, Drumboar promised to put us in touch with him. As for Lestrange vault, unless the three Lestranges and the Malfoys die, I will not be able to confiscate the vault."

"So there is nothing we can do about it?"

"Not unless you want to break in."

I shake my head. "No. That has to be the last option. Let's wait and see what happens."

He nods. "I agree. So that leaves the ring as the only Horcrux we can get."

"Yes, but as I said, it has a powerful curse attached to it. The curse of Withering. There is no known counter to it. It will kill your body piece by piece, slowly over a period of 2 to 12 hours depending on how powerful that person is."

He nods and thinks about it. "I have a suggestion, Harry and I want you to think about it before you answer."

I nod.

"As you probably guessed, things are heating up again. The signs are there. The attack on Crouch manor, Crouch missing, the death eater attack yesterday, the dark mark and now I learned that another ministry employee, Bertha Jorkins has gone missing as well. All these point to Voldemort either being active or close to it. Once he comes back, he's going to come after you. You after all are the reason for his banishment."

I close my eyes and reply softly. "And there's the prophecy."

"What prophecy?"

"The one to vanquish the dark lord approaches. Born to those thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… There's more to it of course, but only the headmaster knows the full version. It's the reason he came after me…"

Sirius shakes his head. "This is too much information is one day." He stares at the table for a moment before he shakes his head again and continues. "Well, then you know he's going to come after you. So my point is, that you need more than me to help you. If this turns out like the previous war, it will be bloody, it will be nasty and there will be death. We will need help, Harry."

"I know that, Sirius. More than you know. Voldemort didn't even use his best forces in the war and he was already winning."

"What forces?"

"Demons."

He whispers in dread. "Demons?"

"Demons. Voldemort and through him I, have the knowledge to summon demons. He actually succeeded in calling out one and then banished it. It was his plan to use them, if the war didn't go his way."

"You can summon demons?"

I shake my head. "No. I said I have the knowledge to summon a demon, but I can't. For the simple reason that I am not qualified. To summon such beasts, you cannot have a complete soul."

He sighs in desperation. "We need to make a list of people who we want involved. There are quite a few good people I know through my Auror career and the order… you know what the order is?"

"I know what the order of Phoenix is. How about we each make a list and compare and then decide?"

"Good idea."

"But one thing Sirius. I am not comfortable with everyone knowing I have Voldemort's memories."

His face darkens. "Good. We never know when one of them might turn into a rat."

* * *

The next couple of days went by slowly. Sirius was in and out of the house trying to find other sources of information. I mostly spent my time in the dueling room and on my rune schemes.

I made a list of names I am interested in bringing in. These are the people I trust to fight by my side when things get nasty.

Sirius falls down into a chair beside me in an undignified heap.

"Kreacher."

The old elf pops in and bows. "Yes, master?"

"Get me something to eat please."

He bows and pops away. He glances at me. "I still can't believe that you changed him."

I shrug as I continue to work on my arthemancy. "All he needed was someone to hear him out. He knows we are trying to do what Regulus wants."

"What is that you are working on?"

"A surprise. Did you find any books on the Fidelius?"

He shakes his head. "I couldn't find any."

"Damn. Why is it so hard to find?"

He shrugs as Kreacher pops in along with Dobby carrying a whole lot of food.

"So do you have the list of people who you would like be party of our band?"

He nods. "A band. Nice. I like it. And yeah I have a few names."

"Well, don't let me stop you old man. Spit it out."

He looks outraged. "Old? Who are you calling Old?"

"The man sitting beside me."

He looks around and smirks. "I don't see anyone."

I roll my eyes. "So who do you have?"

He takes out a piece of parchment. "Lets see… I have the obvious choices, Dumbledore, Moody & Remus. I also have Tonks, Aurors Kingsley Shackebolt, Hestia Jones and James Proudfoot. Head of DMLE Amelia Bones. I think you know most of these people. And then there are Dorean Nicotomus, Septimus Smith and Archadeus Rambart. These three are hit wizards who worked on our side in the last war. I don't know what happened to them. But they are some of the best fighters I have seen."

I nod. "I have Dumbledore, Moody & Remus as well. I want to bring in Filius and Minerva McGonagall. They are both capable and we need everyone we can get. Then my friends, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna. I already taught them and they did well during the worldcup. With further training they have the potential to become the best and I trust them.

He nods. "18. Good number to start with. I am sure other people can suggest more people."

"I don't want this to be like the Order, Sirius. I gathered from Voldemort's memories how ineffective the order was last time. If we are going to do this, if we are to win the next war, we must be ready to do everything necessary."

"You don't need to convince me, Harry. We lost many good people because we were not ready or willing to cause serious harm in our duels."

I nod back in slight relief. At least one adult has some sense to them.

"Who do you want to tell about the memories?"

I think about it. "I will eventually tell my friends, when they are good at Occlumency. Other than that, for now just Dumbledore."

"I suggest you add Remus to that list. Not just because he's a marauder, but because he's also a brilliant researcher who can really help you."

"Alright.

We spend the next couple of hours formulating a plan. We are going to meet with Albus and Remus tomorrow to talk about memories and the agenda going forward.

And tomorrow came too early for my liking. I am not comfortable discussing this secret with anyone else. Sirius is family and Ginny, well I know her secret as well and it's of similar nature. But it has to be done.

I pace around in my room thinking of how to start the conversation, when I someone knocks on the door. It opens to show Sirius. "They are here."

I nod and follow him downstairs to the living room where I see Dumbledore and Remus chatting. I greet them with a smile. "Hello professor. Remus."

"Good evening, Harry. You are looking well."

I nod and we proceed to a pleasant dinner where we chat about the merits of using transfiguration in dueling.

We settle down in the library and I start pacing nervously, which Remus interrupts. "Harry, what ever you want to talk to us about, we are all friends here."

I pause and stare at him piercingly. "Friends, Remus? Wasn't Peter a friend few years back?"

He blanches at that and Sirius opens his mouth, but I interrupt him. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. But it's something to think about. Before I utter a word, I want 2 oaths from all three of you. One that you are who you claim to be and second that you have never supported Voldemort before and will not do so in the future."

I pause at their surprised looks. "In fact I will start it off. I Harry James Potter swear on my magic that I am whom I claim to be." A flash of light signals the sealing of the oath.

I continue. "I Harry James Potter, swear on my magic that I never supported Voldemort, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, in my life and will not do so in the future." Another flash signals the sealing of the second oath.

Sirius follows immediately and so does Remus. The three of us turn to face Dumbledore who stares at us amused while stroking his beard. "I never thought there would come a day when I had to swear an oath that I will not support Tom. I think you already learned something from Alastor, Harry. Very well."

He takes out his wand. "I Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, swear on my magic that I am whom I claim to be." The oath seals and he continues. "I Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, swear on my magic that I never supported Voldemort, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, in my life and will not do so in the future." And the final oath seals.

I sit down beside Sirius to face Remus and Albus. "Thank you Remus and Headmaster. I thought for a long time on how to tell you my story. Most of which, even you don't know Sirius. And as the saying goes, there is no place like the beginning."

I look up at the ceiling as memories play in my head. "It's a story of an orphan, who grew up in an orphanage bullied by kids older than him. Beaten by adults who were supposed to care for him. He grew up knowing nothing but hate and ridicule. In his anger he manifested his magic. He learned to control the power within him to get what he wants. To harm those children who snubbed him. He stole small tokens as things to remember his victims by. See, he always knew he was different and it was proved when a man came bearing news of how different he is. He was a wizard."

Here I look up at Dumbledore to see him pale slightly. I nod to him. "You know of whom I speak of Professor. After all, a long time back, he was your student with the name Tom Marvolo Riddle."

We stare at each other for a moment and I close my eyes. I whisper to myself. "So much pain. So much hate."

I shake my head to get back on track. "So dear old Tom went to Hogwarts wearing second hand clothes and bearing second hand books. The only thing he could call his own was his wand. He decided then and there that he would become the most powerful wizard ever. No one will ever beat him again. He will have what he wants. No one will stop him. He was sorted into Slytherin, where he was ridiculed for being a muggle born. But he was the most brilliant student Hogwarts has seen in many years and soon the very people who ridiculed him came to him for help. But he knew that kind of fame wouldn't get him anywhere fast. It won't open the right doors. He searched and searched and finally the answer came to him from the most unlikely source. His History of Magic class in third year, where he learnt that Slytherin descendants are famous for being Parselmouths."

I point my wand up in the air and conjure a snake. I catch it as it falls down and hiss to it. "_Curl around my hand."_ And it follows my instructions.

I continue with my history lesson as I pet the snake. "So Tom found a way to open the doors that were closed to him. He hatched a plan to show his ability as Parselmouth to his fellow housemates and thus started his legend as the last descendent of Salazar Slytherin. He slowly started gathering followers from Slytherin and other houses. They would in turn become his first Inner Circle members. Only one of those members is still alive now. Lord Avery."

I look at the three of them and see they are absorbing the information well so far. "He was a true genius. A homicidal psychopath, true. But a genius. Going into his fourth year as a 14 year old he knew enough to achieve O's in Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Potions, Runes, Arthemancy, Astronomy, History & Magical creatures NEWTs. He impressed many of the professors to impart him with special privileges. Except one."

Here I look at Professor Dumbledore. "He never got to you, did he professor?"

He looks back at me somberly. "No Harry, he didn't."

"Not for lack of trying I can tell you. But going forward, he entered his fifth year knowing how to perform the unforgivables. After searching for it since his third year, he finally found the chamber of secrets during the final term of his fifth year. It gave him access to the Basilisk, which I killed last year. But the most important find was a whole slew of literary work not seen by humanity in over thousand years, which he found in the Basilisk chamber. The collection of Salazar Slytherin. Through those books he learned high level Ritual magic including magic, which only a handful of wizards were ever able to practice. Parselmagic."

I see Sirius and Remus looked aggrieved. "I assure you, Parselmagic is grossly miscategorized by today's wizards. The biggest advantage of using Parselmagic is in warding, healing and rituals."

I continue after they somewhat settle down. "But he learned something, which he considered the most important piece of knowledge. It's the reason we are having this discussion today. He learned how to create a Horcrux."

Here Albus looks resigned and Remus confused. "A Horcrux is a piece of someone's soul captured within another object or entity. The ritual consists of killing someone in cold blood and using that murder to tear the soul and encase it within an object or entity."

Remus looks flabbergasted. "He split his soul?"

"Yes. But we will get back to that. During the summer after his fifth year, he found out that, he, as the last known heir of Slytherin can access the family vault. He stepped inside thinking of the riches and all he found was a family tree. As he followed Salazar's name down the tree, he saw the name shift to 'Gaunt'. At the end of the tree he saw his mother's name. Merope Gaunt, who went on to marry Thomas Riddle, who was denoted by a white line to signify a muggle. Tom raged in terrible anger at the revelation. That's when he realized only three members are left alive in the tree. Himself. His muggle father. And finally an uncle on his mother's side. Morfin Gaunt."

I continue after drinking a glass of water. "From the public archives he found out where the Gaunts lived. He visited his insane uncle and found out about his rich muggle father and his family. He killed them all and modified Morfin's mind to think he murdered the Riddles. He used his father's death to create his first horcrux. His family ring which he took from his uncle. And thus lord Voldemort was born."

I stop here. "Any questions so far?"

"How do you know all this, Harry?" asks Remus.

"We will get to that in a bit. How about you professor?"

"This is intriguing story Harry. Please go on. I am sure we can cover the questions at the end."

I nod and continue. "So Tom came back to Hogwarts with a new name, which he established among those who eventually became the first of his inner circle. He released the Basilisk at the end of his sixth year, which resulted in Myrtle's death, which he used to create his second horcrux. The diary. He wasn't able to release the Basilisk again after that incident. He however did go into the chamber one last time to gather all the books he wanted. Dear old Tom was a charmer. He can even charm a ghost to part with her dearest secret. The gray lady of Ravenclaw, Lady Rowena's daughter who stole the diadem from her mother told him where she hid it. It became one his Horcruxs"

I continue. "After Hogwarts he worked for Borgin and Burkes for a couple of years. He used his job to develop contacts inside the traditional pure blood families. One of who was Hepzibah Smith. He befriended her. He stole Lady Helga Hufflepuff's cup and the Slytherin locket from her after poisoning her to death. And they became his final Horcruxs."

I look around to see all three captivated by the story. "He left England and traveled far and wide. He initially joined a curse breaking team from Gringotts and learned about warding and curse breaking for 3 years. After that he spent around 7 years traveling and training under the harshest taskmasters to learn the deadliest of dark arts. Many of his masters and colleagues were impressed by his power and the knowledge he had from Slytherin's library. During this time, he also participated in many underground dueling tournaments to further gain experience. By the time he was 30, he was a fearsome warrior, nearly unmatched in power and skill with the security of Horcruxs. At the end of that period was when he met with you Professor, to ask for the defense position. Of course as you guessed precisely in that meeting, his real motive was not that."

"During the next 7 years he spent plundering tomb after tomb, finding hidden treasure and lost knowledge, killing anyone who tried to stop him, while his followers conducted minor raids. The last he estimated, his personal treasure amounted to several hundred million galleons and all of it is protected by the strongest of blood wards. Then he learned necromancy and demonology from a Necromancer in Peru. He successfully summoned a demon and banished it back. That was his final gambit if he failed to rise to power using more… traditional means. And then before he returned back to England, he traced back his steps killing every one of his masters."

The memories of those years keep playing in my mind. "In 1970 he came back to the place of his birth. He regrouped with his faithful, who already killed many Aurors and muggleborn in his brief absence. To those he added many a hired hand, some of the most skilled mercenaries. Some nearly as skilled as him. So started his first bid to gain power. His goal was to capture Britain within a decade and then slowly expand beyond that. And he was well on his way to accomplishing that goal. Then in the year 1980 he heard of a prophecy. A prophecy, which predicts the birth of the one who can vanquish him, of someone born to those thrice defied him and born as the seventh month dies… This prophecy was heard by a lowly death eater and relayed to Voldemort."

Here I look at the professor. "You have some explaining to do, Professor."

He nods. "So it seems."

I continue. "Then in 1981, he chose one of the two only choices as the child of prophecy. He chose me. One because I was a half-blood like himself and the second because there were always rumors of Potter's ancestry being of powerful origins."

I close my eyes as the murder of my parents plays back in my mind. "Peter gave him the secret. He prepared himself to make his seventh and final Horcrux using my murder. He came to our house on all hallows eve. Dad put up a good fight. He was powerful in his own rights, but nowhere as powerful as Voldemort. After killing him, Voldemort walked up the stairs into my room. My mom… My beautiful mom was standing in front of my crib protecting me. He gave her a choice to step aside. He told her she needn't die. But she wouldn't listen. He killed her. Then, he stepped over her and looked down into the crib. He stared into my eyes and raised his wand. He couldn't believe that an infant has the power to bring him down. He, who traveled the path of immortality more than anyone has ever done before. But he knew magic could be tricky. He didn't want to take a chance. He uttered the killing curse. The story should have ended there with him eventually becoming the indirect ruler of Britain. But that didn't happen. All because of a mother's love for her child. My mom died for me even though she was given a choice and hence gave me an ancient blood protection. This protected me from the killing curse and it was redirected back to him, destroying his body."

I open my eyes. "And there ends the history lesson."

I look around to see all three somewhat dazed. Remus again asks me the question. "How do you know all this, Harry?"

I nod toward the professor. "I think I will let the headmaster answer this."

Albus strokes his beard in thought. "I can think of one possible answer. Your scar was a Horcrux, Harry?"

I nod. "Yes. It was. But last year, when I destroyed the diary, something happened. When I used the Basilisk fang already drenched in my blood to stab the diary, it formed a magical connection between Tom and myself anchored in my blood. Then, when Tom attacked me, his incorporeal hand went through my scar forming a second connection between the 2 soul pieces. But because of the way the horcrux in my head was tied with my own mental and magical essence, it was forced to breakdown into its core components. The soul, the mind and the magic. The mind and the magic, which were respectively linked to mine, remained and were fully released within me. But the soul never came close to being attached to mine because of my mother's sacrifice. It provided a barrier, which saved me. The soul escaped to join its counterpart and was destroyed. I was lucky."

All three nod agreeing to the fact. Albus simplified the explanation. "So you have his memories?"

"Up to the point the killing curse hit me."

He nods, thinking fast and serious. "Don't worry, Professor. I know how certain magic can corrupt one's sole. I am not at all inclined to use such curses. But I also know their counters, which should help. Besides, there are far too many curses which do not require soul magic, and which are just as powerful and deadly as any true dark arts."

He looks at me with no twinkle in his eyes. "The dark arts can be very seductive, Harry. I trust you enough to not try them out. But remember this, even the best of us can be tempted given the right incentive. Be careful. Be very careful."

"I promise, I will."

He smiles at that and the bursts out laughing. "My my, Harry. What will Ms. Granger say when you tell her that you have 50 years of knowledge floating in your head?"

I smile at him sheepishly. "Ahh… She and the rest of my friends know something happened, Professor. But not exactly what. I did after all top all the subjects this year."

He nods and continues. "Thanks for trusting us with this information. I think the first step in eliminating Voldemort forever is destroying the Horcruxes."

I sigh. "It's not going to be that easy Professor. To my knowledge there are 6 Horcruxes. I destroyed 3 of them. The diary and my scar in the chamber. And third was Lady Rowena's diadem, which was hidden inside the room of requirements. Incidentally that was the reason Voldemort came to Hogwarts that year to ask for a job. To store the Horcrux under your very nose."

He nods. "A clever tactic."

"Yes, except he thought he was the only person to know of that room and so stored it with no additional protections. It was fairly easy to destroy it with a Basilisk fang."

"That means there are 3 more which needs to be destroyed."

"Yes. The cup is in a high security Gringotts vault, Lestrange's Vault to be precise. The locket was stolen by Regulus Black just before his death and was stored here. Unfortunately Sirius sold it off with rest of the junk when he cleaned the house. The last we know, it's with a wandering merchant. Sirius will be notified the moment he returns back to England. And the third and final Horcrux is in the Gaunt shack, and has a horrible curse, the curse of withering, attached to it. It cannot be dispelled and has no known counter to my knowledge. If we are to get it, we need to be careful. Even though I know what curses Voldemort placed in the hut and on the ring, getting past them is something else."

Albus thinks about and finally answers. "You have given us much to think about, Harry."

I agree with Albus. "Thank you all for listening. But before we leave for tonight, there are two more pieces of information I want you to know. After learning demonology and before coming to England, Voldemort spent 2 years doing something that has to do with his quest for immortality. All I have is a memory stating that he willingly got oblivated of the two years he took to spent doing whatever he did."

Everyone looks troubled and rightfully so. "The last piece of information is about his life long quest. A quest for fortune untold of, and magic old and great. A quest for Atlantis, the land of old magic. He first came across it while looting an ancient Mayan temple and was obsessed by it. When he comes back, he will start that search again, more vigorously than before. I am sure of it."

Dumbledore looking very troubling. "This is very troubling, Harry. The old world is best left forgotten. There are powers beyond our comprehension."

"And if Voldemort finds it?"

He is lost in thought. "Yes… Yes…"

I interrupt his thoughts again. "Do you know much of Atlantis, professor?"

"A little bit of this and a little bit of that. One tends to pick up a few pieces of knowledge if you end up living as long as I did." He replies sagely.

"Fare enough. But Professor, I want some answers tomorrow. The full prophecy and the reason why you trust the man who gave that to Voldemort."

"I'll do my best."

And with that Dumbledore bids us good night.

"How can I help, Harry?" asks Remus.

"Sirius tells me you are a great researcher, Remus. We need to find whatever information we can regard to Atlantis. I have a feeling that the fate of this world will very much depend on the old world."

Sirius pitches in. "Consider this your official job, Remus, and it comes with boarding. I am setting up a fund to support our group. It's high time some of the Black money is used for a good cause."

Remus shakes his head. "Come on Sirius. That's too much…"

"Nonsense, you are hired Mooney. Don't worry we will put you to good use."

After much haggling, Remus agrees to stay here and become the first paid employee of the group.

"It's late Remus, but tomorrow remind me to give you a parchment, which might point you in the right direction."

He agrees to that and we break up the meeting for the night.

* * *

The next morning I woke up early, as is my habit these days. I apply a glamour and go for a run around the block. After the run, I step into the dueling chamber and practice my speed casting as well as spell chaining. The first spell chain I'm practicing is a simple, cutter, blaster, banisher and back to cutter.

Of course spell chaining is most useful when going against more than one opponent or non-magical opponents like inferi and goblins. In most wizarding duels, one mostly doesn't get a chance to construct an elaborate spell chain. It's curse, duck, shield, curse, transfigure, animate, curse, duck, shield.

The reason why spell chaining can be so useful is, being able to release 2 or 3 curses in the time it takes to release one is about the easiest way to bring down inexperienced opponents.

After spell chaining for 15 or so minutes, I stand before the target meter and release a reductor. I get a cool 8 for it. The target meter is about the average distance one expects to face their opponents at. The further the target, the less powerful the curse is, or more power it takes to release an effective curse. At twice the distance my number falls down to 6. I scowl at that. I put more power into the spell. It leaves me slightly winded, but I get a nine. I guess I never really worked on controlling the power behind my spells.

"That's some power you put in the spell, Harry."

I turn around to around to see Sirius standing in the doorway along with Remus.

"I came around to call you down for breakfast. When I didn't find you there, I thought you would be here."

I nod to him and clear my head. "That left me slightly winded."

He nods. "Not many can put that much power in a simple reductor, Harry. If you can make every spell that powerful, you can match even the best of Aurors."

I no and he palms his wand. "Now, get into the circle."

Sirius activates the target. I duck, I shield, and send reductors at the target. By the time I am done, I am covered in sweat as well as paint, though not as much as the 3 days before. No one accused me of being a slow learner. Well… Not at least since I got the memories. He he he.

Sirius gives me a towel. "That was good, Harry. That was very good. Except you did get AK's three times."

I scowl at him. "I'd like to see you do better."

"Ahh, my dear godson. Watch and learn."

He steps into the center of the circle and activates the target. And Sirius moves around instinctually. Ducking when needed and shielding the rest. By the time he was done, he hit the target far more times than he missed and was in turn only hit once and by the color of the paint, it was a bone breaking hex, which hit him on his left arm.

"What do you say now, godson?"

"That was very impressive, Sirius."

He takes a bow. "Why, thank you. Thank you. I wasn't one of the best Aurors for nothing you know."

I nod accepting that fact.

"The trick Harry, is to know when to duck, when to move away and when to shield. There are advantages and disadvantages to both."

I nod as we leave the dueling room.

"How about you Remus, how good are you?"

"Well… I am okay. I can handle myself in a fight if that's what you mean. But not good as Sirius is or your dad was."

I do a quick run to my bedroom and fetch the Peverell parchment. I enter the dining room to find the 2 marauders enjoying their breakfast.

I give Remus the parchment. "Here you go, Remus. This was what I was talking about yesterday."

He stares at the rune and frowns. "I never saw such a rune before."

"No one has, except for a shop keeper who said he saw such a rune in Tibet."

Sirius takes the parchment from Remus. He stares at it and shakes his head. "No idea. But what makes you think this has anything to do with Atlantis?"

"Because this was taken from a vault which, is several millennia old."

They raise their eyebrows surprised. "Last year, I tested myself at Gringotts to see if I have any more vaults. It seems that I had three more one of which was last used 2,500 years back. It's the Peverell family vault."

That draws a blank across their faces. "Never heard of them. So what did you find in the vault?"

"I found treasure horde of jewels and hundreds of parchments with runes like these. If you look closely at the rune, you will see that it's made up multiple smaller runes."

They do the same and Remus summarizes their feelings on it. "Incredible."

"Its obviously a dead language, which hasn't been seen in a while. It's at least worth trying to identify its origin I think."

"We should show this to Albus tonight. Other than that I will look in the local libraries to start with."

I get up from the table after stuffing myself with breakfast. "Alright. I am flooing to the Burrow for lunch. Will be back for dinner."

As I leave the room I hear Sirius and Remus discussing something to do with Moody.

At the burrow I, Ron, the Twins, Ginny and Hermione play a couple of games of Quidditch. After the furious pace at which the game was played in the world cup, it was refreshing to play a friendly game.

After, we all sit down for a picnic lunch and insisted that Fred and George join us. They looked at me weird, but agreed.

After we settled down by the lake, I looked at them seriously. "Now I want you guys to think about this before you answer. From our weekly meetings last year you know the kind of magic you can learn."

Here the Twins look confused. "What meetings? You guys doing something without telling us?"

"I will show you later what I taught them."

"So my question to you all is this. If you were say… invited to stay at Sirius' place for the next 3 weeks and receive Auror level training, would you like to? There is of course a reason you will be getting this training. And no Ron, it's not for school yard quarrels with imbeciles like Malfoy."

I glance at each of them before I continue. "War is coming guys. Maybe not this year. Maybe not next year. But Sirius tells me the signs are similar to Voldemort's first rise to power. He will come back. And when he does, he will come after me. So I am getting trained. Nobody expects you to fight, but I have a feeling the fight will come to you and you need to be prepared to handle it."

I turn to face the twins. "You asked me if I could teach you the lightning spell. Well, you will need this kind of training to learn that kind of spells."

I glance at everyone with a smile. "So what say you?"

"But what about the underage restriction?" Asks Hermione.

I smirk at her. "What the ministry don't know won't hurt it. We will be in a warded wizarding house among qualified adults. The ministry cannot identify who's doing magic under those circumstances."

Ginny jumps right in. "I am in."

And the rest of the others agree even a reluctant Hermione.

"Who will be teaching us?"

"Sirius and Remus among a few others." I reply vaguely. Keep them guessing. He he.

I promise them I will let them know soon on when they will be coming.

I floo to Grimmauld place. "Hey Sirius." I get no response for my shout.

I search the first to top floors and seeing none I head down to the basement. I open the door to the dueling chamber to seeing Sirius in a fierce duel with Alastor 'Mad Eye' Moody.

It's not really a duel is it? It's more like a battle. They are flinging dangerous curses non-verbally. I recognize most of them. Finally Alastor released a quick bone breaker and a banisher. Sirius dodged the breaker and took the banisher to the chest. But just before he was flung across the room, he released a stunner, which nailed Alastor.

Sirius gets to his feet with a groan. "That bloody hurt."

"Man, that was incredible."

He looks like he his pain. "Hey, Harry. Wake up Mad-eye will you?"

I nod and enervate him.

He opens his eyes and quickly rolls away sending a quick rain of stunners all around him.

I had no option but to fall flat on my stomach and escaped being stunned by an inch. I shout to the paranoid man. "EASY Alastor."

His magical eye focuses on me and he straightens. "Potter."

He turns to face Sirius. "You haven't let up Black. But what the hell are you doing losing to an old cripple?"

Sirius just groans in pain. He gets to his feet. He nods toward me as he limps toward the door. "He's yours. Don't damage him too much."

I turn to face the ex-auror in apprehension. "Potter, what are you doing down there. Get up here boy."

Okay…. I climb up on to the platform only to duck instantly to a stunner. He keeps that going making me duck, until I was able to get a hasty Absolvo out.

Moody stops the barrage of spells and stares at me with raised eyebrows. "Your first lesson; never wait until your first curse lands. Keep going at it until you nail your opponent. That's an impressive shield you got there."

"_Confringo." _

Damn, that's one hell of a blaster. My shield stands, but I slid a couple of feet backwards because of the force.

"_Confrigo."_

A more powerful blaster and my shield weakens, and I slide back few more feet. I put more power into the shield and grind my legs into the ground.

"_Confrigo."_

He keeps going at it, increasing the power of his blaster every time. Finally, he releases a blaster that would have left me splattered all over the room. It's so powerful that I see Alastor taking a step back in recoil.

The shield stops the curse, but collapses, while I am flung back a few feet. I look up from ground to see Alastor grinning at me. He looks slightly out of breath.

"Is that all you got, Potter?"

I grit my teeth. I might be down, but I am not out yet. I get back to my feet.

"Not yet, Alastor."

I twirl my wand and slash it across myself. _"Imprimis Patrocinor." _

A brilliant gold shield with a dragon for a symbol forms in front of me. I was able to cast it after much practice at the end of third year. It still leaves me winded. But it will protect me against most curses except for the unforgivables.

Alastor looks surprised by it. Then he smiles and it's not a pretty sight. "Bravo, Potter. You successfully cast a spell not many Aurors can. But I wonder how many hits it will take. You look winded. Maybe I will keep sending blasters at you until the shield collapses. Then what? You just wasted most of your magic on a spell, which will eventually fail."

I drop the shield and listen to him attentively. "What you should have done, is conjured a marble slab to take the spell. When the spell hits the marble, it will disintegrate into powder, giving you cover to move and cast your own spell back. You only use the Imprimis, when you know that your opponent is of equal power or less. Got it?"

I nod taking a huge breath. "Yeah."

"Now, conjure me some marble."

I do as instructed. He keeps me going until he is satisfied that I can conjure it instantly.

"I think we are done for today. I know your defensive capabilities. Tomorrow we will go through the offensive spells."

Then, he turns around and walks away. He never asks me how I knew these spells, which no 14 year old should. He really doesn't care.

Looking back at the duel I witnessed between Sirius and Alastor, I think it comes down to one's style. Voldemort uses a head on attack. He uses his power and forces his rivals to submission. Dumbledore even though is as powerful if not more than Voldemort uses Transfiguration in his duals. Alastor and Sirius both used direct result spells similar to Voldemort. Alastor is more powerful than Sirius, whereas Sirius is more agile.

I know Voldemort's style. I don't know when I will end up facing him again, but I doubt I will be powerful enough to go head to head with him using direct results spells. I need to develop my own style. Something he will not expect and will give me an edge.

* * *

AN: And that's the end of another chapter. Thanks for all the reviews. The next chapter will cover the training our beloved heroes will get. Check out my new story "Come What May". You can find it on my Author's page. Thanks.


	11. Chapter 11

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 11**

That night Dumbledore joined Sirius, Remus and I for dinner after which, we settled down in the library.

Albus starts of the meeting. "I put in much thought on what you told us yesterday, Harry. It seems that we were luckier than we initially thought that Voldemort got banished when he did. If what you say is true, if he had unleashed demons on this plane, both our world and the muggle world would have been devastated. When I was young and enamored with the flighty temptress that is adventure, I came across a demon, which I destroyed and barely escaped with my life."

He looks lost in thought. "Not many of that time are alive today. Magic is not as effect these creatures. You have to destroy them using force or fire. There are not many wizards or witches capable of defeating a demon."

He glances at all of us in turn. "He must be destroyed."

"I don't think any of us are going to argue about that, Professor. But the question we need to ask ourselves is how. There are at least 2 Horcruxes out there we can't get to."

"My dear boy. There is always a way. But first how about we take care of the one we can?"

"Now in the dark?"

"Better now than latter and the darkness will provide us the cover we need."

I nod and we head out of the library. On the way, I pick up a hat. "Portus."

I notice Dumbledore stare at the hat and nod in acceptance. Then, he turns around and gives a slip of parchment he conjured to Remus.

"This should take us a safe distance away from the house. Glamours?"

They all agree and we cast them upon ourselves. All 3 of us look like ordinary middle-aged muggles. Sirius and Albus step up and touch the hat, while Remus doesn't.

"You aren't coming Remus?"

Sirius answers the question. "We always leave one behind in case he needs to call for help, Harry."

I accept the philosophy and activate the portkey. "Gaunt House."

We land in a dark narrow lane. "It's about 100 yards in that direction." I point to my right and we head in that direction.

Albus glances at me. "What ways do you know that can destroy a Horcrux, Harry?"

"Through Voldemort's memories, I know the killing curse will work. And from my own, I know Basilisk venom will destroy it as well."

"I gathered the same. I also found that Fiendfyre would destroy it just the same."

I nod. Makes sense. "So we are going to take it from here and destroy it back home?"

"Yes."

As we close in on the shack, I raise my hand. "Hold on, guys."

I activate my glasses and look for the traps I know exist. "There's perimeter identifier, muggle repelling and misdirection wards. I am going to temporarily bring down the identifier and misdirection wards."

I don't wait for their response and go ahead and temporarily disable the wards through some intricate wand work. Overpowering wards is brute work. But bringing them down without the owner knowing about it is far more delicate.

I nod and proceed into the overrun yard. As we reach the door, I stop them again. The snake, which is nailed to the door, comes alive.

"_Who dare passes?"_

"_It is I, Lord Voldemort, Son of Merope Gaunt and the last heir of Salazar Slytherin."_

It bows and the door opens.

I turn to face my two companions. "Password protected. Easy to just say the password rather than dispel the ward."

They nod and I address Sirius. "Stay here, Sirius. We should be back in 10 minutes max."

He nods and Albus and I walk into the depleted shack. It's exactly as I remember from my memory. I step toward a corner and raise my wand.

I pause to address the headmaster. "Be careful Headmaster. There's a compulsion hex here."

I tighten my Occlumency shields and levitate a wooden panel out of the ground. There, lying innocently on the ground is the ring. Albus kneels down to look more closely. As he gazes at the ring, he pales and he starts to shake.

And before I can make a move he starts to reach for the ring. A inch from the ring, I come back to my senses and unleash a gust of wind, which blows him back several feet.

"Professor, what's wrong?"

He gets to his feet still shaking. "The ring, Harry? Don't you recognize it? It's the resurrection stone. I must have it."

I scowl at him. "What are you babbling about, sir?"

He raises his wand at him. "Step aside, Harry. I waited for this moment for well past a century."

"Professor, Headmaster… Snap out of it. Fight the compulsion."

He closes his eyes and his brow knits as he concentrates on breaking the compulsion. "The ring… The ring."

"Fight it professor. Remember, you are Albus Dumbledore."

After a few minutes, in which Sirius stepped inside, he opens his eyes looking relieved. "Thank you, Harry. The shock of seeing that stone, has made me susceptible to the compulsion."

"That's alright, Professor. Why don't you step outside?"

He nods and walks out. I stare at his back and shake my head as I realize how close he came to dieing. I stare at the stone in the ring in wonder. What could make a man like Albus Dumbledore loose his composure? I see a symbol on top of it. It is vaguely familiar.

I shrug and levitate it into a box, I am carrying with me. I close the box and pocket it. I put back the floor board and make sure nothing else is disturbed before I step outside.

I nod to the two men. We quickly walk out of the yard and I dispel my own ward, which is temporarily holding back Voldemort's wards.

"Ready?"

We touch the hat and disappear arriving in the lobby at Grimmauld place. Remus, who's been waiting for us, jumps up. "How did go?"

I nod to him, while Albus just walks on silently to the dining room.

We follow him as he silently sits down at the table and conjures a bottle of mead. He takes a rather large sip of it.

"Why is the stone so important, Professor?"

He smiles at me or I guess more to his old memories. "Ahh… the resurrection stone. It's an old children's story Harry. More like a myth. And like all myths there is some truth to it. I will give you a book tomorrow. I think you will understand that better than hearing from me."

"Alright. But you sure you're okay?"

He smiles. "I am fine my boy. And I must thank you for saving me."

I wave it off. Sirius who is losing his patience jumps in. "Okay, stop talking in Riddles. What happened?"

"I'll tell you later, alright?"

He sulks but doesn't comment.

"Dueling chamber?"

Everyone nods. "You guys head down, I will bring the Basilisk fangs."

I run up to my room and take out the box of fangs from my trunk. I step down to the dueling chamber. I put the box on the floor and levitate the ring out of it.

I let the ring lie on the floor. "Someone hold it steady with the stone facing up."

And Remus does that. I levitate a Basilisk fang and stab it slightly on the stone. A black smoke rises from the stone and screeches in pain. Then it vanishes in a blast of light.

"Keep holding it."

I cut the ring using a conjured white-hot knife and free the stone. I levitate the stone away from the gold holder. "Professor, are you able to conjure Fiendfyre?"

He smiles. "Step away Remus."

Remus follows his instructions and he unleashes a controlled fiendfyre in the form of a phoenix, which devours the ring and the curse of withering with it.

After the gold holder is nothing put a puddle of liquid gold, he stops the curse and fires a cooling charm at the gold, solidifying it. He checks to make sure the curse is no more and then reshapes it in the form of a coin with a phoenix on both sides. He gives it to me.

"My thanks."

I take it with a smile. It's a nice token. I turn toward the stone and cleanse it thoroughly of the Basilisk venom. I examine it carefully before I pass it on to Albus who takes it reverently.

"I have seen that symbol before professor. In the Peverell vault."

Albus looks up stunned at me. "The Peverell Vault, Harry?"

I nod and explain the story behind how I came across the vault. He nods at all the right places. "Can I see the parchment, please?"

I shrug. I go back to my room and bring down Lady Rowena's diadem and the parchment.

I meet Sirius at the landing and we proceed to the sitting room. I give both the articles to Albus.

"Ahh… The fabled Ravenclaw diadem. She will be pleased." I know who he's talking about. But I guess Remus and Sirius are used to Albus talking in riddles, because they don't ask for any clarification.

Albus next examines the parchment. "Hmmm…" He mumbles to himself as he follows the rune. Clearly he saw the lesser runes. "Ahh… Hmm… a connection forged…"

He finally looks up removing his glasses. "Do you mind if I make a copy of this, Harry?"

"Go right ahead."

He does that and we sit in silence.

"So, just two more to go?"

"At least Sirius. After that it's anybodies guess."

"Professor…"

"When we are alone, call me Albus, Harry. I think you earned that right."

I smile at that. "Okay… Albus, I hope you remembered the two things I asked you yesterday?"

He nods. "Go ahead and bring your pensieve."

For the third time that night I went up to my room.

I put my empty pensieve on the desk and Albus withdraws 3 memory strings and dumps in the pensieve. "I will project it."

The first memory shows Albus with Sybil Trelawney in a room. "This happened when I interviewed her for the Divinition post in 1980."

In middle of her rather long-winded speech, Trelawney goes stiff and wide-eyed as she enters a trance. In a harsh voice she says the lines, which sealed my fate.

"_The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… And the dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have the power the dark lord knows not... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches."_

We sit in silence trying to understand the words.

"What does it mean?" asks Sirius.

Remus answers him. "It means Sirius, that at the end Harry will need to kill Voldemort."

"Or die trying." I add. I guess I have to be the cynical one.

"Bloody hell you will." He looks at me determined. "You, young man, are going to be trained even if it's the last thing I do. You are going to beat him."

I smile to that and smirk at fate. "He did indeed mark me as his equal."

Albus chuckles at that. "That he did." Then, he looks at me closely. "You are taking this rather well, Harry?"

I shrug. "I knew at the end it's going to be either him or me. Even if I don't actively pursue it, Voldemort will. He believes in the prophecy."

Albus nods. "Prophecies are not set in stone… But those that hear them tend to inadvertently allow them to happen. Even I, with my vast experience can be blamed of that."

"But what is this power the dark lord knows not? To my knowledge he is vastly more powerful than me."

"That he is. But you do indeed have the power he knows not. It's your power to love, Harry. Many might think me senile when I say love is a power… but it is the most powerful form of magic. It's the same power, which made a mother sacrifice herself for a son. It's the power which banished one of the most powerful wizards of the age. There is a room in the Department of Mysteries, where this wonderful power is studied. Not many can open that door."

Silence reigns once again. "My patronus… When I first tried it, I couldn't get more than a mist even after using every available happy memory I have. But then, I thought of how much my parents loved me and how much I love them… _Expecto Patronum_."

The dragon emerges from the wand and sails across the room before it settle down in front of me. It lowers its nose to my eye level and I rub its nose.

The three adults smiles at the display and Albus summarizes their feelings. "Wonderful. Simply wonderful."

I release the patronus and it vanishes. I laugh remembering the prophecy. "You know, I never thought that our Divinition professor was anything but a fraud."

"Sybil has a tendency of wildly exaggerating the circumstances. But this is not the only real prophecy she gave… there is one other."

He twirls the memories in the pensieve and another rises into the air. Here she is in the Headmaster's office. She goes into a similar trance.

"_The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these thirteen years. Tonight, before midnight ... the Servant will break free and set out to rejoin his Master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. He will tear the boundaries between the worlds. Beings of bone and fire shall once again walk the earth. The world forgotten will be remembered. From the mists of fate, there will emerge a victor who will forever change the world for good or bad."_

"She happened to relay this prophecy on the same night, Barty Crouch went missing and his mansion burned down."

Silence. Then -

"Crap." Sirius summarizes in a very succinct manner.

I meet Albus' eyes. "It is happening, professor… What I said yesterday."

"I summarized as much. What will happen will happen. All we can do is prepare the best we can and fight when we have to."

I give him a grim smile. "I don't think there are more than a handful of people who are capable of fighting a demon professor."

"Then we train. We do everything we can… Magic has a way of helping when we least expect it."

"On the topic of training, I talked to the Weasley children and Hermione about getting training this summer. They all agreed and I was thinking that Alastor, Sirius and Remus could help us get to speed with dueling and casting in general. Neville and Luna as well…"

"That can be arranged. And it's time we call on some old friends. You know of the order, Harry?"

I answer hesitantly. "I do…"

"Yet you hesitate?"

"It's just that I know from Voldemort's memories how ineffective it was. I am not keen on joining such an effort professor."

He strokes his beard as he looks at his hands. "I can understand your feelings. The order was never meant to be a fighting force. We were forced to adapt ourselves into that. But it seems the future will require a more forceful approach."

"And I don't want anyone other than us four to know about the memories."

He nods. "It's for the best."

I smirk at him. "Then, Sirius you better talk to Mrs. Weasley about letting them stay with us."

Sirius looks bewildered for a moment. "I am doing no such thing. That woman can be quite a handful."

"This is your house, is it not?"

"Yeah… so?"

"So, it's a your responsibility to ask her."

"What? Remus, help me here…"

Remus smiles enjoying the show. "I agree with Harry, Sirius. You should ask Molly."

Sirius scowls and slumps down in the couch.

Albus gets up readying to leave. "Harry, might I have a word?"

I nod and follow him out of the room. "I know you asked me the reason I trust Severus. But I regret to say I cannot give you what you seek."

He raises his hand stopping me as I open my mouth to argue. "It's not because I won't, but because I can't. I made an oath to Severus that it shall remain his secret. But I will tell you right now that I trust him with my life. You will meet him in a week's time for the potion you requested, am I correct?"

I nod yes.

He continues. "My suggestion Harry is this. Ask him."

I scowl at him. "Don't worry I will."

He signs. "He is not an evil man. If you can believe that… it's a good place to start."

With that he departs.

The next day Alastor walked in to the dueling room promptly at 9 in the morning. I finished my morning run and just had time to squeeze in an hour of spell chaining.

As the door opened and he came thumping in. "Alright Potter. Show me what offensive spells you know."

I started off casting the simple curses like the stunner, the disarmer, the fire spell, the full body bind, the cutting curse, the impediment jinx, the flinging hex, banisher, confundus charm and finally a powerful reductor curse. Seeing his scowl I smirk at him and take it up a notch.

The blasting curse: _"Confrigo."_

The bludgeoning hex: _"Everbero."_

Bolt thrower: _"Telum Concio."_

Fire Whip: "_Flagro Flagello_."

Water torrent Conjuration: "_Aqua Eructo_."

Fireball: _"Incendus Ventus."_

Gust of wind: _"Flaminis."_

A self conjured lightning bolt: _"Fulminis."_

Whirlwind: _"Cataegis."_

Golem: "_Golem Mobilis_."

After the final spell I look up at Alastor. He still has a scowl on his face. "Is that it?"

I scowl right back. That's more than he should expect. "Well… there are some real nasty spells I know…"

"Go on… Let's see what your definition of nasty is."

I shrug and turn around to face the other end of the dueling platform.

I start with a bone-breaking curse. "_Ossus Fragmen_."

Bone-shattering curse: "_Ossus Diffringo_."

Bone-exploding curse: "_Osexscindo._"

Compression curse: "_Coepio._"

Piercing Hex: "_Perforo._"

Rupturing Curse: "_Ramicis._"

Melting Curse: "_Fervefacio_."

Ribbon Severing Charm: "_Rumpere Lemniscus_."

Entrail-Expelling Curse: "_Eviscero_."

Mangling Curse: "_Lacero._"

I finish and look up at Alastor. That's 30 curses I fired of in less than 3 minutes.

He still has his scowl on. I get irritated. "What's your problem, Alastor?"

He cracks a smile at that. "Nothing lad. I wanted to see how far I can push you. And I agree those are some nasty curses you know."

I shrug. "You know these are not true dark art spells. Yeah, they are dangerous and lethal. But not true dark arts."

In fact to tell the truth, there are very few true dark arts spells, which can be used in combat. True dark arts, will not work without the use of soul magic. You don't need to hate someone to pull of any of the spells I did. Only intent matters. That is, I can fire the bone shattering curse or the mangling curse at Alastor or Sirius just as effectively at the death eaters.

"Aye lad. Glad you know the difference. As I see it, you have good defensive and offensive spells. Let's see how good you are at dodging."

And so the next 3 hours I spent dodging curse after curse with a break every 30 minutes. I doubt I could have handled it without my Quidditch training. I was hit a couple of times. Once by a cutter which grazed my leg and another by a stunner, which nailed me.

After that we had a quick lunch, when Sirius gave us the news that Molly accepted after she talked to Dumbledore and the kids will be dropping by tonight. Same with Neville and Luna.

After lunch, I stepped back into the dueling chamber with Alastor.

"Your dodging was half way decent. I am going to acknowledge your Quidditch skills for that. Now let's see how you perform with a moving opponent."

I step into the dodging ring. After 30 minutes, Alastor stops it. "POTTER. You got yourself butchered in there. What was going in your mind when you took 3 killing curses? And what were you aiming at? Because you missed more than you hit."

I sigh slightly depressed. I don't know why I can't seem to get it. Voldemort nailed this in a couple of days. Well not this specifically. He had 5 people shooting crucios at him from different directions. And he was always good at his aiming.

"I can't seem to identify where the target pops up next, Alastor. As unfortunate as it is, I don't have eyes at the back of my head." I add with a little bit of sarcasm.

"Aye lad, you don't. But that's where your magic comes in. Are you using any of your sensing skills?"

Huh! I try to remember anything of that from Voldemort's memories. "Hmmm… No?"

"There's your problem. If you want to last in a battle, this is an absolute must. That day you met Malfoy, you released your magic… I want you to do that until I ask you to stop."

I nod and close my eyes taking a huge breath. I open them and release my magic. I nod to him and he activates the target.

And I immediately sense magic heading towards me. I throw myself to the ground and roll back to my feet and send back a Reductor at the target. But it's already gone and I ready myself for the next batch of spells.

After 2 hours, Alastor calls a stop. I am dead on my feet. My body is aching and raging headache from keeping my magic open for such a long time. But the good news is, I can practically sense every single spells heading toward me. Whether I dodge them in time is a different issue. I am still covered in paint, thought not as much. I am still shit at hitting targets while one the move.

"Get some rest. We will start all over tomorrow."

I nod and start to pull back my magic when I sense a spell heading toward me. I dodge and look up to see Alastor pointing his wand at me. "Did I tell you to pull back your magic? Keep it open. You never know when some coward might curse your back. CONSTANT VIGILLANCE."

With that he hobbles away. I groan and lie back on the floor. I close my eyes to take a moment to relax.

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I know, I wake up in my bed. I glance at my watch to see that it's around 5 in the morning. "Bloody hell. I slept for 11 hours."

I stumble out of my bed groaning. I feel like shit. After a nice bath to wake me up, I walk to the bookshelf to do some reading. I am in no mood or condition to go for a run. On the table I spy a book, written in ruins. There is bookmarker and I open it to that page to see a note in Albus' handwriting.

"_Every myth and legend has a base in reality." – Albus._

Runes haven't been used in such a way for a very long time. The book must be very old. I take the book down with me to the kitchen. I am famished. As I start the stove, Dobby pops in with Kreacher.

"What is Harry Potter, sir doing?"

"Just making myself breakfast. Don't worry about it."

"Harry Potter sir shouldn't being do that. Dobby will make breakfast for Harry Potter sir."

I give up. "Fine."

I sit at the table and read the book. It's a children's fairly tale called "The Tales of Beedle The Bard."

Albus wants me to read the story called "The Tale of The Three Brothers." I immerse myself in the interesting story with many comments on the side from Albus. It's a story of how death gifted 3 brothers with 3 extraordinary magical objects. A wand greater than any other, a stone that can bring back the dead and finally the invisibility cloak, which can hide anyone from death.

At the end of the story, Albus attached another slip of paper with only one word to it. _Peverell_.

I stare at the paper, shocked. Can the story be true? Thinking back to Albus' breakdown at the Gaunt's house, it seems so. Then… The cloak I have, which was passed down from my dad, must be the Invisibility cloak. The third brother must be the one I am related to.

I finish my breakfast and walk upstairs to my room. I remove the cloak from my trunk and stare at it in wonder. I search for any signs that might point out to the fact that it was indeed the cloak passed down by the Peverell's from a couple of millennia back.

I see none and I don't want to risk using a scanning ward without knowing how the cloak will react to it. Best ask Albus when I see him next. I wonder if he used that stone…

I put the cloak back inside the trunk. It's still too early for anyone to wake up. I debated about it in my head and decided to absorb a small part of Voldemort's memories. Most to do with his dueling skills. I always kept them separate from my own memories and took the knowledge rather than the experience. I close my eyes as I sort through the memories and pick those of his combat training and his duels. I release them within my own memories.

I wake up about three hours later. A shiver runs through my body. That was a weird experience. It's like you are that person but you are not. I was able to go through some of the initial training he did in the span of time I have. Absorbing them takes considerably more time than just sorting through them.

I step down into the kitchen to see Ginny awake. "Hey Ginny."

She turns around surprised. Seeing me she smiles. "Hey Harry. We came in last night. But Sirius said that you were too tired to wake up."

She smirks. "What, can't take a simple dueling lesson?"

"A simple dueling lesson she says. Wait until Alastor gets hold of you darling."

She blushes. "Ahh… Do I see a blush?"

She scowls at me but goes back to eating her breakfast.

"So, how's your training coming along?"

She shrugs. "Okay I guess. I pretty much covered most of Transfiguration, Charms and DADA till NEWT level."

I nod to her. "Good. Good."

We sit in silence for a while. "Did you tell anyone about the memories?"

I nod. "Sirius, Remus and Dumbledore. It helps. One of the reasons the headmaster agreed to further training all of us is because of the discussion I had with him."

She quirks her eyebrows at that. "Oh! What exactly did you tell him?"

"Oh you know. A little bit of this and a little bit of that."

Seeing her face I laugh. "Sorry… I was quoting the headmaster. As for what we talked… It was mostly on what is to come. You saw the dark mark, Ginny. We are on the verge of another war and this war will involve more than one world…"

Before she can question that statement, Hermione walks in. "Harry! How are you? Sirius said that you were too exhausted to wake up last night."

I roll my eyes. "You guys just wait until Alastor puts the lot of you under the same torture."

"Oh! What was he like? He's a legend in the Auror force. Sirius was telling us about some of his exploits last night."

"I think it will be best if you saw for yourself Hermione. Why don't you have breakfast while I wake up the rest of the house."

"Luna's on the way down."

I meet her on the way. "Hey Rupert."

I laugh. "It's good to see you too, Luna."

Then, she suddenly hugs me. I stand still for a moment surprised and then return the hug. "Thanks for inviting me as well, Harry. It's almost like having friends."

"You are my friend, Luna. You are part of our weird dysfunctional family."

She releases me and smiles. "Thanks, Harry."

She skips down the steps and I shake my head in bemusement, though it does make me feel better. I see that Sirius enlarged a room for the girls. Ron and Neville are bunking in one of the other rooms.

"Ron, Neville. Wake up."

They just bury themselves further into the bed. I swish my wand making the blankets fly of them depositing them on the floor.

"Bloody Hell! What was that for, Harry?"

I roll my eyes. "If you lot were sleeping by the time Alastor gets here, he would fling you of the bed. Now, you better get up if you want to have any breakfast. He will here at 9, which is in 30 minutes."

Ron mumbles, whereas Neville sleepily gathers his clothes and walks to the bathroom.

I walk to the Twins' room. I open the door to see them getting up. "We are up Harrykins. No need for any rude wake up calls."

I smile. "Alastor will love you guys."

They pale at that thought. As I leave their room, I see Sirius stepping down. "What's with all the ruckus?"

"Nothing sleepy head. What are we doing today?"

"Once Mad-eye gets here, he will see where the other seven are and make up a schedule for the rest of the holidays."

Makes sense. I see Sirius glance at me as we walk down the stairs. "You were pretty out of it yesterday."

"You have no idea."

"I can feel your magic… You are keeping it up all the time?"

"Yeah… Alastor said that it was important."

He nods. "It is. All Aurors are trained to do that during their three year training period. I thought you already knew about it."

I shake my head. "I think Voldemort always had his up unknowingly."

"I am surprised that you can do it. It's not something that can be easily mastered."

I think about it. "I think Sirius… that it was due to me practicing wandless magic. I have been doing that for more than a year now."

"Wandless, Harry? You never told me that."

I shrug. "It never came up. I can only levitate, summon and banish at this point."

"That's more than most can do."

The rest of them finish their breakfast by the time Alastor comes through. He comes carrying a trunk and everything.

Sirius welcomes him. "Hey Alastor. Glad you took me up on my offer. Let me show you to your room."

I guess he's moving in.

After that we all move into the Dueling chamber and I explain to those who have never seen it how it works.

"This is brilliant, mate." Says Ron.

I spend the next couple of hours in the dodging ring, while Alastor and Sirius test the other kids. I feel that I am already improving. Is it Voldemort's memories or the few hours I spent yesterday? But I still can't get a spell across most of the time. I am too slow.

I think I'll try something new I learned through Voldemort's memories. The next time I sense a curse, I twirl around and bat it right back at the dummy. The ring deactivates at that. Hmmm… Did I do something?

"POTTER! What did you do?" Shouts Alastor.

"I didn't do anything. The ring stopped. I just parried the curse back using the standard shield."

"You parried it back? Show me." He throws a stunner at me and I bat it aside. It goes wide of Alastor. But at least it worked. Parrying needs one to have good control of their magic. You create a shield, but it's not around you, but around the tip of your wand. Technically any shield spell can be used as such. Though the more powerful a shield, the more control one needs to have.

"Where did you learn that lad? Huh! Sirius showed me a memory of Voldemort doing it. I thought I would try it." I glance at Sirius and he gives me a subtle nod.

"Did you now!" If I am honest with myself, he does look impressed.

Hermione interrupts. "this reminds me of Star Wars, where Luke trains with his lightsaber wearing a blindfold."

"I don't know Hermione. I didn't get many chances to see movies at the Dursleys?"

"What are movies?" asks Ron.

"Did you say blindfold, Granger?"

I groan. "You got to be joking!"

Alastor conjured a piece of cloth and gives it to me. "Go on, Potter. Let's see how this works for you."

I scowl at Hermione who looks sheepish and gives me a pleading look. Bloody Hermione. I tie the blindfold across my eyes.

I hear Alastor activate the ring. I ready myself as I sense the first spell heading from my right. I dodge it. The next comes from in front of me and I twirl away from it. The next comes from behind me and I step away from it. I fall into sync when I sense more than one curse heading toward me at the same time from different directions. I dodge one and try to parry the other. I succeed only partially as I feel something wet splat lightly on my shoulder.

I hear Alastor shout. "What are you lot staring at? Get back to work."

I continue with my training. I only have time to dodge and occasionally Parry. I fire a couple of reductors in the fraction of second I have between dodging the spells, but I doubt any connected.

We stop for lunch where Alastor, Sirius and Remus hurdle together in discussion. I eat as much as my stomach can take.

Hermione looks pleadingly at me. "I am sorry, Harry."

I wave it off. "Don't worry about it, Hermione. It was a good exercise."

She smiles at that. "You do have a talent for it, Harry."

Ron mumbles something with his mouth full and Hermione scowls at him.

"How did the rest of you do?"

Before anyone can answer the adults joined us.

"We will concentrate on five things these remaining three weeks. Defense, Offense, Dodging, Speed and you will face one of us in a duel at the end of each day. Here are your schedules."

I take mine and look at it.

9 – 10: Dodging Ring - Dodging with a blindfold

10 – 11: Dodging Ring - Dodging and offense without a blindfold

11 – 12:30: Dueling Platform - Put others through Defense Circuit

12:30 – 2:00: Lunch

2:00 – 4:00: Dueling Platform - Defense Circuit with Moody

4:00 – 5:00: Range – Accuracy, speed and control of power

Between 5:00 – 7:00: Dueling Platform - Duel with Moody/Sirius/Remus

That's over 7 hours of training everyday for 20 days. That should really get us all in the grove. I take a peek at the other's schedule. The Twins, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Luna have the same schedule with interchanging times in batches of three. They are concentrating on mostly improving their shield strength, dodging, and increasing their offensive spell list. Ginny's is slightly different. She doesn't have shield training but has an extra hour of dodging.

After lunch Alastor put me through the ring. "Remember Potter. You need to do everything in your power to not get him by a spell. You can dodge, shield, conjure or whatever else you like. Just. Don't. Get. Hit."

I nod and we get going. He starts with a stunner and then progresses to stronger curses. I duck, twirl, step away, fall on my ass, shield, conjure and parry. Alastor is like a non-stop spell throwing machine and his curses are quite powerful. I cast the Imprimis couple of time to get sometime to breathe.

After I am done. I called Dobby to get a butter beer. A refreshing drink later I stand before the range, concentrating on power and accuracy. I get a continuous 8. I put in more juice and get a 9. I am aiming for a 10. The ratings increase exponentially. That is, from 1 to 2, the power has to be two times more. Same as from 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 and so on. I concentrate for a moment and gather all the power I have. "Reducto."

A massive bolt of power rushes through my wand toward the target, leaving me falling on the floor. It hits it with a GONG. I eagerly look up at the meter and am happy to finally see a 10. Nice.

I get back to my feet and take a breather. I continue the training with aiming for a 9 instead of 10. There are only 5 curses I can test on the meter. Steupefy, Reducto, Expelliarmus, Everbero and Confringo. Any other spell and the meter can be destroyed. The rest of the spells can be practiced on the moving targets though and I do that. I spend about 30 minutes on getting my spells up to 9 continuously. I succeed partially. But have ways to go. The next 30 minutes I practice my accuracy and speed on the moving targets. I have no problems hitting them most of the time. I think I need more practice hitting a still or moving target while I am on the move.

After everyone is done with his or her training, we settle down for a duel. I go first against Moody. I last 10 minutes before I lose my balance while dodging and trying to fire a curse and am hit by a bludgeoner, which does a number on my ribs. They are not broken, thank god.

Moody takes on one of the twins and Ginny. While Sirius takes on Hermione, Ron and Luna. Remus takes the remaining to Neville and the other twin. None of the other lasted more than a couple of minutes. They after all don't have the years of experience I gained through Voldemort.

The dinner is a quite affair as everyone is too tired to talk. I lie on my bed and begin the process of absorbing the rest of Voldemort's memories I released into my very own.

It's a slow process, because the absorption has to happen in real-time. That is, if the memory I want to absorb is 1 hour long, it will take me 1 hour to absorb it. Every night before I sleep, I bring the remaining memories to the forefront of consciousness. After a couple of nights I figured I am absorbing about 7 hours of memories every night. I am practically dreaming these memories in which, I am the one who is getting trained and I am the one who's dueling.

At this rate it will take me couple more weeks or 100 or so hours to absorb the important aspects of Voldemort's combat training as well as most of his duels which include a few with Dumbledore and Alastor. Most of his duels are short and fierce. His longest duel is around 30 minutes. He is the epitome of Slytherin. If he feels that the battle is not going his way, he runs. I am absorbing nearly 200 or so of his duels, which amount to around 70 percent of the memories. The rest of them detail the important aspects of the combat training he took under various masters. No need to spend hours absorbing those memories where he gets tortured because he failed or where goes searching for knowledge.

And they helped. I made more progress than humanly possible in the 7 short days since I started absorbing the memories. I started with the training memories and progressed to the duels. And I mixed my own style into it. Take Voldemort's style, add transfiguration, a little of creativity, my Quidditch agility and you will get Harry Potter's dueling style.

I spit the blood entering my mouth through a cut lip as I stare down Alastor. He has a broken nose. He sends a powerful blaster, which I split with a bone breaker, another trick I learned from Voldemort, immediately followed by conjured chains. He parries the bone breaker and dispels the chains and sends his own bone breaker followed by a couple of blasters.

I shield against them using an Absolvo and then dodge the next set of curses. That's the problem with shielding. Once you raise a shield and get on the defensive, it takes effort to get back on the offensive against a good opponent. And Alastor is among the best of opponents, though he clearly slowed down compared to his youth, when he was whole and had the advantage of being young.

I come out of my roll and parry the next curse back at him followed by a reducto, confrigo and serpensotia.

"_Bite him."_

He ducks under his own curse and swats the confrigo. By that time the snake is already upon him. Just as it raises his head to bite him, he cuts it in half. He ducks my next curse and sends a volley of blasters, reductors and bones breakers. I duck some and parry the others, but am hit by a reductor and loose my balance.

Right at the moment he sends a couple of curses, a bludgeoner, which hits my wand arm breaking it cleanly and a reductor that sends me flying backwards. Through the pain I see Alastor summon my wand, which has fallen from my broken hand. It seems the duel is over. Not yet. As it's flying toward the Ex-Auror, I summon my wand back wandlessly into the left hand and just as I am about to hit the floor I hit it with a wandless banisher using my right, propelling myself backward and away from Alastor's stunner.

As I get to my feat, I conjure a cement wall to take the next few curses, while I apply a numbing charm to my broken arm and apply a cast around it to hold it together. This is something else I learned from his memories. How to handle a wand with both hands, though I am far from perfect. It will take time before I am good enough to use it with the left for anything that needs accuracy.

As my cement wall crumples, I release a volley of bone breakers mixed with a couple of blasters as well as slug belcher, which is a green colored spell similar to the AK. Even though he knows I will not use that curse, sometimes the mind works on experience. And experience says, don't get hit by a green spell. As he defends against them, I vanish the dust from the wall and concentrate on the floor bellow him and swish my wand in a circle, turning it into quick sand. He propels himself away from the quick sand and reverses the transfiguration.

I conjure a volley of birds to take his next curses, while I concentrate on creating a Golem. "_Golem Mobilis."_

The wooden golem rises from the floor and lumbers toward Alastor who quickly releases a volley of blasters to end it. But it gives me enough time to transfigure the floor to ice. He slips and falls. He quickly conjures a cement wall to take my next volley of curses. Darn it I almost had him. As the wall is reduced to bits, I see him back on his feet and the floor back to normal.

By this time both of us are breathing heavily. I release a volley of deadly bone shattering curses at him. He shields against them and parries the last one back to me. I split it with a lightning bolt, and follow it up with a bludgeoner.

His shield absorbs the lightning and reflects back the bludgeoner at me and he quickly follows them with a half a dozen other curses. I raise an Imprimis to take the curses. I get ready to release the shield and duck, when a gong sounds. That's the end of the duel.

We were dueling for 30 minutes, which we decided would be the limit. I stand their sweating head to toe and covered ins dust and blood. I clean myself and glance at Alastor. He's looking at me in amazement, which turns to cackle of laughter. He nods in my direction and I salute him.

I step down to see my friends staring at me in awe. Both Sirius and Remus look impressed. "What?"

"Mate, you dueled Mad Eye to a draw." Says Ron.

I shrug and smile. I am pretty happy with myself. "Yeah, I did."

Sirius claps me on the back. "Brilliant Harry. Brilliant."

I sit down with Alastor and watch the rest of the duels. My friends are much better than they were. Even with just 7 days of practice there is considerable improvement in all of them. Of course it helps that Fred and George are 16 and the rest had much practice over the last year.

Remus is a fair dueler, but it will never be his strength, like Hermione. Of the lot Ginny is a natural and she gave Remus a fight for his money. I bet she will start winning against him pretty soon. Neville can pack some power in his spells. He is slowly gaining in his confidence. If he continues he will match Remus by the end of this year.

Ron it seems is pretty good with Transfiguration, but was always lazy. He started using a lot of that in his duels. He is getting good at it and is on the same track as Neville. Luna… What can I say about her? She is probably the most naturally gifted dueler I have ever seen. Both Sirius and Alastor agree with me. Unlike us, she uses the most unexpected curses and hexes, which can take one by surprise. Once she gets up on her power and improves the control over her magic, she will be a handful. She already got Remus a couple of times and almost got Sirius.

Hermione, as I said will never be the best duelist. She is and will be one of the best researchers. She is simply one of the smartest persons when it comes to figuring out things. But she needs to work a lot more if she ever plans to be on the battlefront. She is quite powerful and she has probably the best control of magic after Ginny and I. After all control comes from the mind. But what she lacks is spontaneous reactions that are so important in a duel.

The Weasley twins, alone can hold their own against any average death eater. But together will be quite a handful even to an inner circle member. They are a team, and they will work well as a team.

Today is the 17th of August. Tomorrow my friends will be going to the Diagon Alley to get the book supplies, while I meet with Snape to get the eye correction potion. I will be out for most of the day and will stay in the hospital wing as the potion will need about 24 hours to work it's magic. I plan on confronting Snape. If I am to work with him, I need to know why Dumbledore trusts him so much. I haven't met the headmaster since the night we destroyed the Horcrux. I want to ask him about the resurrection stone and my cloak. I don't really care for the wand. My wand is the best and that's all that matters.

I wonder what answers tomorrow will bring. I wonder if I will like them.

* * *

AN: And that's the end of chapter 11. Next: Confrontation with Snape and training continues. Our Heroes will head to Hogwarts.


	12. Chapter 12

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 12**

I step into Albus' office as I flooed from Grimmauld place. I see Albus at his desk and greet him. "Morning Professor."

"You as well, Harry. And as I asked, please call me Albus when we are alone or with your father's friends."

I smile sheepishly at him. It will take sometime to get it out of my mouth naturally. I greet Fawkes by scratching under his beak. "Hello, my beautiful bird." She croons in response.

"If you keep doing that, you are going to spoil him Harry."

Fawkes trills in indignation and turns his back to him. I laugh at his antics. I kiss the bird that saved my life and take a seat.

"I heard some good things about your group of friends from Alastor. He was pleasantly surprised at how well they have taken to the training for a group fourteen and sixteen year olds."

I smile. "Ahh… that's because I have been teaching them Auror level shields and NEWT level spells for most of third year."

"I expected as much. He reserved his highest praise for you though. It seems that you drew a couple of duels with him?"

I nod. "It's because of many reasons. The hours of dodging I went through, using blindfold mind you. The target practice I did to improve my accuracy. But I will put down the biggest reason to Voldemort's memories. You see pro... Albus, I always kept his memories separate from mine. When I needed a piece of knowledge, I looked into his memories and learned that piece myself."

He nods and I continue. "I debated with myself about this and decided to absorb some of his memories. Most to do with his dueling training. As you know, he is a fierce duelist and won many fights and lost only a few. Integrating his memories into mine, gave me that raw instinct, which you can gain only from experience. Of course he knows a variety of tricks and tactics, which he learned from a variety of sources from all over the world. They helped as well."

"And do you plan on integrating any of his other memories?"

I think about it. "I would have to think on that. I don't want to absorb any of his death eater meetings or the countless hours he spent learning the dark arts. Maybe the warding experience he gained can be useful."

"Very well. But please keep my warning at heart Harry."

I nod. "I will Albus. Not to worry."

He smiles. "I would like to see one of your duels."

"Why don't you drop by toward the end of August? You can watch all of us duel and decide for yourself where we stand."

"Excellent. And you are meeting with Severus today?"

I nod. "Then, please do so with an open mind."

"Contrary to what people might think, I know you are not a fool, Albus. I want to understand your reasons behind trusting him."

He chuckles. "I will take that as a compliment. Is there anything else?"

"Yeah… That book you gave me…"

"Ahh… Yes. Interesting stories aren't they?"

I agree. I read the rest of the book over the last week. "So they are real? The wand, the stone and the cloak?"

"Oh! Very much so, Harry."

"Am I right in guessing that the cloak I carry is the same as the one in the story."

"Indeed. It was passed down within your family for generations. From Ignotus Peverell himself."

"And the stone we took from Gaunt's house… that's the resurrection stone?"

"It is. Though I can only guess how they got it."

"Voldemort believed it to be his family ring. Maybe the are related to the second brother…"

"Cadmus Peverell. Your guess is as good as mine."

"And the wand?"

Albus smiles. "It exists. Possibly the most famous of the Hallows."

"Hallows?"

"Yes, combined, the wand, the cloak and the stone are called the Deathly Hallows."

Has a nice ring to it.

"Have you used the stone, Albus?"

Here he hesitates. "I did, Harry. Though the results might not be what you expect. The stone will not bring back the dead. Nothing of this world can. What it brings is a shadow… More than a ghost, but less than they were in life."

Here the uncertainty of my past self creeps in. "Do you think… do you think I can use it Professor?"

"I thought you would ask…"

He opens the shelf, takes out the stone and hands it over to me. "You turn it three times between your thumb and forefinger wishing for the people you want to meet. And when you want them gone… turn it the other way round."

He points to a door I never saw before. "Through that door, you will find my quarters."

I nod and walk silently through the door. I don't know if I am scared or excited to be able to meet them at last.

I sit on couch and stare the stone in my hand. I don't know how long I did that, but finally I turned it three times wishing for James Potter and Lily Potter.

I heard a sound and opened by eyes to see them. What Albus said was true. They are more than ghosts, but less than human. Dad is exactly like I envisioned him to be. He is wearing the same clothes as the day he died. For the first time I realized why they say I look like my father. He has a proud smile on his face, or at least I hope so.

I turn to face my mom… My beautiful mom as she stares at me with passion, with a hidden hunger that matches my own. Her eyes are as green as mine and she has a wide smile on her face. She takes a step toward me.

"My little Harry…"

I have tears rolling down my face. "Can I… Can I hug you?"

They nod and I hug them till my hearts content. The first real hug I can remember from them. And it feels warm. Very warm.

I release them and gaze up at them. "I love you both."

My mom answers for them both. "We love you as well, Harry. And we are very proud of you."

"You are?"

"More than you know. We have always been watching over you, my little angel."

"That… that means you know about the memories?"

"We do… But we know you will put them to good use."

"I promise, I will."

I continue to stare at them. "You cannot stay can you?"

"We are part of you Harry. We can stay as long as you want us to."

"But you don't want to. You are not part of this… this life anymore?"

My father answers for me. "That we are not."

I nod and continue to take them in. "Are you happy?"

"We are Harry."

We continue to sit in silence holding hands. "Does it hurt when you die?"

Mom kisses me on my head. "No… It's like you are going to sleep."

Dad gets my attention. "I have a message for you son. I cannot say from whom. But, when you are at the end of the path, use the stone and summon."

"Summon whom?"

Dad ruffles my hair. "You will know when the time comes."

Mom takes my hand into hers. "Can you do me a favor, Harry? When you meet Severus, tell him, he has my thanks and my forgiveness."

"You mean it?"

She sighs sadly. "He was a good friend, but we fell apart."

My dad joins in. "You can also tell him, that the debt he owes me and now you, has been paid in full. And tell Sirius, that he will always be my brother in all but blood."

I agree to deliver the messages. I get up and hug them one more time.

"Bye mom, dad. I will not summon you again. But I will see you when the time comes."

"And we will be waiting." Answers my mom. They kiss me one last time and I turn the stone the other way with a heavy heart. They disappear and I sit down heavily on the sofa. I sit there for a few minutes before I step out of the room back into Albus' office.

I give the stone back to him. "Thanks for letting me use it, professor."

He nods and takes it in his hand. "That was an experience wasn't it Harry? Though you returned it much sooner than I expected."

I shrug. "I got what I wanted professor. The knowledge that they loved me and that they are happy."

He smiles. "And that Harry is the reason, you are the only person I can trust with such an artifact."

I shake my head. "No professor. You keep it. But keep it safe. I have a feeling we will need it soon."

He looks intrigued but agrees. "Albus, mom and dad asked me to deliver messages to Sirius and Snape…"

"Ahh… And you want to know what to tell them without giving the secret of the stone?"

I nod and he ponders it with me. "Maybe I should tell them I dreamt about it???"

"Might be convincing enough if you have the right message."

I shrug and get up to leave. "I will see you later Albus."

He waves me off. I walk down to the dungeons going through the messages my parents gave me. I knock on Snape's door.

He answers as gruffly as always. "Enter."

I open the door and enter the room. "Take your potion and get out Potter. Go see the Nurse before you take it."

I take the vile of liquid lying on his desk and pocket it. Then, I take out my wand and wave it at the door locking it and adding a privacy ward.

He looks like he is ready to kill me. "What do you think you are doing, Potter. I said get out."

"I will. But first I want some answers."

"I have nothing to say to you, you arrogant piece of shit… Now leave before I make you."

"You have much to answer for, Snape." I twirl my wand as I look at him. He looks slightly disturbed with my attitude.

"You gave the prophecy to Voldemort." He hisses as I say his name, but pales considerably.

"How do you know this?"

I continue as if I haven't heard him. "Yet, you asked for my Mother's life when you knew he was going to kill me."

"How… How do you know this, Potter… Answer me?"

Then, as we realizing something, he spats a name. "Dumbledore."

"Oh! I asked him the same questions, but he wouldn't answer. He told me to ask you."

"Then, HOW DO YOU KNOW?" He roars. He points his wand at me in a swift moment and screams. _"Leglimens."_

He tries to batter my shields and I let him for a few moments before I send a disarmer followed by an Incarcerous.

He is tied to the chair and I pocket his wand. "If you know what's good for you, you will let me go Potter. NOW."

"Answer me, Snape. Why did you ask for my mother's life when you yourself gave him the prophecy?"

He sits there silent. "Did you want to torture her yourself, Snape? Was that it? Was it a sort of revenge against my dad?"

He struggles against the bonds but does not answer. "Did she beat you in potions while she was in school? Did she insult you? Was she cruel to you? Was this your revenge?"

He grits his teeth. "Your mother was the kindest person I ever met. She was my friend."

"Then, why? Answer me."

"I didn't know it was you he will be after, Potter. I didn't know until much later. As soon as I knew I went to Dumbledore and offered to spy."

"All for a friendship, Snape? A friendship she didn't return."

"Oh! She returned it Potter. I was her first friend in the wizarding world. It was I who told her she was a witch. But I threw that all away…"

I stare at the miserable looking man and realization dawns upon me. "You loved her."

He stays with his head bent but doesn't answer. That's confirmation enough for me.

I release his bonds and put the wand back on the desk. "I have a message for you. From my mom and dad."

He looks up at me bewildered. "What?"

"She asked me to tell you that you have her thanks and her forgiveness."

I pause as he absorbs it. "As for my dad, he said the debt you vowed him and now me has been paid in full."

He slumps down as if a great weight has been released from him. I step back toward the door and unlock it after removing the privacy wards. I open the door to leave, when –

"How do you know this, Potter. How did you get this message?" His voice has a hint of desperation to it.

"I visited their graves for the first time after the worldcup final. I had a dream about them that night."

I close the door behind me and walk toward the infirmary. That was probably the most difficult conversation I ever had.

The next day, after spending a solid 24 hours on bed, I wake up to see the world clearly for the first time in many years without aid. And it's better than the normal vision I get through the glasses. Everything is much more clear. I marvel at the world and have a good laugh about it. I did put those hours on the bed to good use by absorbing more of Voldemort's duels.

I have a huge breakfast in the kitchen and then floo back to Sirius' house just in time to start back on my training with renewed vigor. I have a promise to keep to my parents.

For the rest of August, we continued the training as scheduled, but increasing the intensity all the time. In the dodging ring, while blindfolded I am dodging paint balls from 3 opponents at the same time. I completely give into my instinct and allow it to guide me. More often than not, I am able to strike back at them. I am able to handle 5 opponents while not blindfolded, though I tire faster. I am continuously outputting curses at the 9th power level in the range and my accuracy is has improved a great deal, what with my new eyes and all.

For the defense circuit, Alastor has Sirius and then Remus join him to and I am ducking 3 curses at the same time. I was able to duel Alastor to a draw continuously and defeat Sirius on a couple of occasions. They still have the upper hand of having more power available to them than I. My spells are nearly as strong as theirs and in some cases stronger. But, where as I can duel for 45 minutes to an hour before I am exhausted magically, the three Adults can do so for twice as much time. Voldemort and Albus, who are on a totally different level, can probably keep it going for much longer and their spells will probably break the power-measuring gauge than record any reading.

And by the 30th of August, I have absorbed all of Voldemort's relevant memories to do with dueling. Today is the last day of training, as tomorrow we get ready to leave for Hogwarts.

I face of against Alastor one last time. Our duels are becoming more deadly and close every single time. Today, it's no holds bar. No draws. There will only be one winner.

I flex my hands to get the circulation going. I lock my eyes with Alastor. I feel a gentle push on my mental barriers and I smirk at him. No reading minds today.

I draw on my power and feel it pumping in my nerves. At the count of three, I release a bone breaker at the same time Alastor releases a blaster. They both collide in mid air and veer away.

He sends a railroad pike and I conjure a cement brick to take the hit. I banish the brick toward him and he swerves out of the way. But I summon it back and it hits him on the shoulder and he stumbles. I use that chance to throw a reductor and a stunner at him. But he apparates away silently leaving the curses to hit the dueling barrier.

I feel a slight change in air pressure behind me and twist around in time to see a cutter heading for me. I slap it away and send my own blaster back at him, which blows a chunk of the platform while he apparates again.

He appears right behind me and before I had the time to move, a bludgeoning hex strikes me on the back and sends me flying 10 feet. I spit out a broken tooth and as I stumble on to my feet, I sense a curse heading at me and raise a quick shield, which stops it. As Alastor pounds the shield, I have enough time to get back to my feet and apparate away. I appear 3 feet to his left and throw a blaster at him. But he disappears once again to appear at the other end.

We gaze at each other as we take a welcome pause to get our breath back. Apparating while dueling is a tough ask. Alastor then lashes at me using a fire whip, which I transfigure in time to water that splashes on to the floor.

I send a blaster to the center of the platform and then transfiguring the debris into razor sharp needles. As they whistle at high velocity toward Alastor, he conjures a cement dome, which takes all the needles and then vanishes.

I transfigure the debris into wolfs and they sprint toward the ex-Auror. He blasts them to pieces, ducks my next curse and transfigures the dead animals into rats. I dodge a bone breaker and send a fireball at the oncoming horde. I follow it up with a spell chain, launching a cutter, blaster, reductor and a cutter at Alastor who shields against them.

I conjure a couple of metal disks and send them flying at him. He blasts them back toward me and I vanish them. We stare at each other for a moment before he launches a bludgeoner at me. I parry it back to him followed by blaster and a stunner. He ducks the first two and shields against the last. We exchange a few more spells, before he disillusions himself. I smirk.

I wait for a curse to head toward me before I swat it aside and send a wide area stunner in that direction. I hear a body fall and lower my wand, when I see a powerful blaster heading toward me. I fall flat on my stomach to avoid it and he has me on the defensive.

"_Imprimis Patrocinor."_ I still can't depend on my nonverbal form of this shield.

The golden shield takes his next few curses as I get back on my feet. A railroad spike gets through the shield and destroys it hitting me painfully on the shoulder. I apparate away to escape his next curse.

I appear a couple of feet away from where I was before and immediately roll away from there. A curse hits the platform blowing a hole in it. I duck under his next curse and cast a Homenum Revelio. Ahh! There he is. I parry his next curse and send an over powered blaster at him. As he ducks under it, I dispel his disillusionment.

I dodge his next few curses and go on the offensive myself. I send a couple of spell chains at him. He parries a few back at me and I duck and shield against them. Then, he lashes out with a couple of bludgeoners. I duck one and shield the next only for the bludgeoner to slide through the shield and strike me on my chest. It flings me like a rag doll knocking the breath out of me. As I near the ground, I sense a curse heading to my landing spot. I fire a wandless banisher propelling me upwards. I do something I have never done before and apparate away in mid air.

I appear 5 feet behind him. His magical eye spots me. As he twirls around with a curse forming at the tip of his wand, I shield my eyes and release a bright flash of light. I follow it with a blaster and a bone breaker. I quickly transfigure the floor he is standing on to quick sand.

As the flash of light clears, I don't see him in sight. I am about to cast a Homenum Revelio, when I feel a curse heading from above me. I have no time to think, I apparate and appear 3 feet from where I was. I slap away a curse Alastor sent and unleash a blaster, which splits the bone breaker heading toward me.

I follow it with conjured chains, which I transfigure to a couple of lions. Alastor destroys them with a fireball and sends a couple of bone breakers at me. I parry them back to him and follow it with a fire whip. He ducks under the whip and sends a cutting hex at my legs. I jump above the curse and slap away a bludgeoner. I fall to the ground, roll away from a curse and send a lightning bolt, followed by stunner.

He shields against lightning and dodges the stunner. He sends a couple of bone breakers at me. I point my wand at the floor and it rises to meet the curses in the form of a hand, which catches the curses and throws them back at Alastor along with the fingers, which race toward him in the form of darts. He escapes but takes one dart to the shoulder.

The next 5 seconds pass slowly as I immediately follow the darts by conjuring mud and it splats at his feet. As his shield goes down and he gets ready to fire a curse, the mud shoots upward like a pillar, pushing his hand up and encasing it. The mud encases the rest of his body like a waterfall defying gravity.

I twirl my wand and the mud encases the wand and removes it from his hand. It takes the form of a fist and moves like water in air. It drops the wand in my waiting hand and as soon as I get hold of it, I vanish the mud and stun him twice, just to be on the safe side.

I am breathing hard and am covered in dust, blood and sweat. I glance at the clock to see that we were nearing an hour. That's when I hear cheering and glance around to see my friends, the two remaining Marauders and Albus Dumbledore, who came to witness the duel. I wave to them with a smile, which came out more like a grimace.

I limp towards my fallen mentor and wake him up. And I think for the first time since we started training, I see a true smile on Alastor's face. It's not any less hideous though.

I smile a crooked little smile through my broken mouth. I give him his wand back and my hand to pull himself up. He takes it and as he gets on his feet, he throws me on my back.

"Well Harry, looks like I have more to teach you. Every weekend at school, we will spend sometime in hand-to-hand training. Next time when someone tries that move, you will be able to defend yourself. CONSTANT VIGILANCE."

He hops away greeting Albus. I groan and lie back on the platform. Bloody Constant Vigilance. Bloody Auror. I should have left him stunned.

I get back on my feet not without some effort and clean myself. I limp down from the platform. Sirius slaps me on the back. Ow! I push him away with a wince. "Watch it man. You are going to permanently cripple me."

Sirius laughs and puts a hand over my shoulder. "That was brilliant, Harry."

I smile somewhat pleased. "It was."

It's not everyday you defeat a master Auror as famous as Alastor Mad-Eye Moody.

My friends look pleased themselves as they are all smiles though not without concern on their faces. I see the twins taking some Galleons from Albus. I round up on them.

"You bet on me?"

"You bet."

I smirk at them. "Good."

I turn to face Albus. "That, Harry was indeed something to be proud of."

"Thanks, Professor." I reply wiping the blood from my mouth.

"Here, let me help." He circles his wand around my head and a golden light filters into me. I feel the internal cuts within my mouth and the swelling on my face subside.

I smile at him. "Thanks. That was hurting a bit."

"You should let Poppy look at that broken tooth."

I nod and we move out of the dueling room and into the dining room, where I see Alastor resting his amputated leg. We all sit down to have a late lunch.

In the last few days Albus and Sirius got in touch with all the people we had on the list. Albus of course added a few more.

Arthur, Molly, Bill and Charley Weasley. A couple of Albus' old friends. Dedalus Diggle and Elphias Doge. His brother Aberforth, who is the bar keeper at Hogshead. Severus Snape. No comment there. Surprisingly, Mrs. Figg. It seems that Albus put her as my guard as soon as I started living with the Dursleys.

A couple of ministry workers loyal to Albus, Emmeline Vance and Sturgis Podmore. Mundungus Fletcher, whom Sirius was not keen on, but Dumbledore stressed his importance as an information source in the shady parts of Wizarding Britain. And finally an old friend, Rubeus Hagrid.

A total of 27 people. Motley crew if I ever saw one. Albus has agreed to pass on all order information to me through Sirius, but I will not be taking part in the meetings. That's fine with me.

I insisted that every single person must swear three oaths on their magic.

That they are who they say they are.

That they never followed Voldemort and will never do so

That they will never reveal any order information without the express consent of Albus Dumbledore or Sirius Black to anyone not part of the order.

Albus was very reluctant to ask for such oaths, but I insisted and gave him the ultimatum that, that is the only way I will ever work with the order. He finally relented. He also agreed that they would recruit more people who are capable of fighting soon.

Tonight will be the first time the Order of Phoenix will meet in the last 13 or so years. Sirius has offered his home until they can find better accommodations. Thinking of the members diverts my thoughts to those members who were killed or incapacitated in the last war and a couple of photos that Alastor shared with me.

Mom and Dad. Edgar Bones. Caradoc Dearborn. Benjy Fenwick. Marlene McKinnon. Dorcas Meadows. Fabian and Gideon Prewett. 9 good people. 4 were killed by Voldemort's own hands. He oversaw the slaying of the Bones and McKinnon families. The rest were killed by death eaters.

And of course there is the traitor Peter Pettigrew, who is rotting 6 feet under. And last Frank and Alice Longbottom who are lying on the bed tortured to insanity. Not for long if I have any say in it. Of course this doesn't include the countless others killed Voldemort or his servants. Thousands of muggles and hundreds of magical folk perished.

I shake my head to get out of the morbid thoughts. As Albus said, what happens will happen. I turn to face the Ex-Auror. "Hey Alastor, how did you get that bludgeoner past my shield. I know that shield was strong enough to hold it."

He chuckles. "That lad is a trick very few people know. It's called a slider. When you release the curse, it doesn't have any inherent power to it. It takes the power from the shield. It's a tricky little thing. What do you do when you release a curse?"

I shrug. "I weave my intention with my power and release the spell."

"Aye Lad! Power and Intention. A slider has two parts to it. The intention of the spell. The power to reach your opponent carrying with it the intention to absorb the power of the shield and power the primary intention."

Huh! Complex or what. "So let me get this straight. You don't power your primary intention, but only the secondary intention of absorbing the power of a shield and power the primary intention."

"Aye! Takes concentration to get it right and you need a thorough understanding of the spell."

"How come you never used that in our duels before?"

"I did lad. But you dodged most of them. If there is no shield the spell does nothing even if it hits you. And the power of the spell will depend on how much power it can absorb from the shield. Not many like to depend on that. You only use it to get momentary advantage which might win you the duel."

"Is this a recent development?"

Here he scratches his nose. "I'm not sure. Might be. I only learned it a few years back."

"So you can make any spell into a slider?"

"NO! And don't you try it either. Can be right dangerous. I know a man who nearly lost his hand when he tried it with a lacero. The slider only has enough power to carry the two intentions with it and power the secondary intention. It cannot be used for spells which need considerable power."

"What spells can you use as a slider?"

"It takes time to get them right. I use the stunner and bludgeoner."

"Is there anyway to identify which spell is a slider?"

"You can. If you look closely you can see a black tinge to it. It ain't easy when it's layered with other spells or is part of spell chain."

I nod and think about it. "Can you teach me?"

He smiles his sinister smile and nods. "That and a few more spells you never heard of."

I must get him a nice present for Christmas.

I focus back on my now cold lunch. I hear Sirius teasing Ron about something big that is supposed to happen at Hogwarts.

I roll my eyes at his antiques. He kept doing the same to me, until I told him, I will vanish his mouth.

After lunch, I went to visit Poppy at Hogwarts. She gave me an overall and a small dose of Skelegrow after removing the remaining piece of tooth from my mouth.

The rest of the afternoon went fairly quietly. I was too tired to do anything other lie on my bed and rest my aching body.

Sirius introduced us to the different order members and warned us to stay away from the kitchen for the duration of the meeting.

I took that time to test my friends' occlumency. Ginny of course already has good shields. Luna's mind was wild with thoughts flowing in weird circles. It was quite a nauseating experience. Ron and Neville are nowhere close to even clearing their minds. Hermione has progressed well for the short time she invested. I explained the process to the twins early in the month and predictably they didn't make any progress. It is a difficult art and if not for his memories, I doubt Ginny or I would have made any progress.

The next day Sirius informed me that some members were hesitant and grumbled about it, but everyone made the three oaths. This is good news.

The rest of the day is taken with getting ready for the school year. Neville and Luna flooed back to their homes and will meet us at the station tomorrow.

As I pack my clothes I see a set of dress robes I haven't seen before. I check my school list and indeed it has the dress robes as a requirement. I also pack my dragon hide wardrobe. It's a pretty intimidating outfit. A black cloak, black vest, black pants and a stylish black robe combined with black shoes complete the set. As I said Intimidating.

The rest of the Weasley family stayed for the day. Bill and Charlie were somewhat excited to see a dueling room. They are decent at it. Of course neither need a dueling talent for their jobs.

And on the 1st of September, we all got into 2 ministry cars and headed to the station. I doubt it was Fudge who provided these cars. He would rather eat dragon dung than do any such thing. That corrupt ass. With Sirius and Alastor's reputations at the DMLE, they had no problem getting transportation from them with Auror escort. Of course, Amelia being a new order member helped as well. Anything for the boy-who-lived.

As usual we got to the platform with just 15 minutes to spare. Every one of us has their trunks shrunken and in our pockets. In less than 10 minutes we found a compartment and settled down. Both Bill and Charlie said something to Ginny that intrigued me. They said they will see us all sooner than we expect, with a knowing smile and sounding quite mysterious. I spied Alastor getting into a carriage with a couple of other professors.

It's a beautiful day and I gaze at the green fields as the Hogwarts' Express speeds away from London. Every now and then I see a few gawkers looking through the glass door into our compartment. I pay them no mind as I concentrate on my Runic scheme. Albus finally gave me his notes on the Fidelius charm. It seems that this was something he learned from his friend and tutor Nicholas Flamel. It is indeed a very complicated charm, which is more of a ward.

The charm consists of Arthemancy, which is used to calculate the size of the plot, which needs to be hidden. These calculations are then used to form the runic scheme, which also has a version of the oblivation charm built into it. This scheme is then carved at 6 different points of equal distance around the perimeter of the plot. The seventh and final scheme is carved at the center of the plot. The 7 schemes are connected to form an intricate web around the plot. The final step, and the toughest is to mix an enchantment with the runic scheme. The enchantment has three different layers to it. The way to find the secret, the secret being hidden and the identity of the secret keeper. Once the enchantment is mixed within the runic web, a version of it is connected to the secret keeper's soul or to be more precise the magic of the soul.

Once the final step is done, the knowledge of the plot's location is removed from every ones' minds. And the plot is pulled into a sub dimension, where it partly exists in another dimension except for those who know the secret.

Quite intricate. But nothing I can't manage. But I am not trying to cast the fidelius, am I. I want to take some of the properties of the charm and mix it with dimensional spaces to create a place, hidden from all eye, but will always be with you

I put away the parchments and gaze outside the window. I get a wild idea. Why not. I get to my feet and open the door.

"Harry, where are you going?" asks Hermione.

I put on an innocent face. "No where Hermione. Just to the roof of the train."

I close the door and take a few steps from it when –

"WHAT?"

I snicker to myself and head toward the connection between the two cars. I open the door to be hit by the rushing wind. It has nothing on a firebolt. I climb up the ladder and stand on top of the train. It feels great.

I stand for a while looking around, when I hear a muffled scream. I look back to see Ron and Neville trying to climb on to the roof. I walk back to them and give them a hand up.

Neville just lies on the roof, clutching his heart with his eyes closed. Ron looks around with shielded eyes. I conjure a pair of Goggles for him. He nods appreciatively and puts them on.

"Are you mental, mate?"

I smile at him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax Ron. Enjoy the scenery. Think of this as flying on a really fast broom."

He takes on a surprised expression but nods. Then he shouts over the howling wind. "Hermione is going mental."

I get a devious smile on my face. I conjure my messenger patronus and send it to her.

We sit there for a couple of hours till it gets dark and then proceed back to the compartment. As we enter the compartment, Hermione rounds up on me. "How dare you, Harry Potter. You could have been killed."

I smile and put an arm around her. "Now now, Hermione. You know well that I can take care of myself. And it's nothing compared to flying full speed on a firebolt."

She huffs and sits down. "You are going out of your way looking for danger, Harry. What happens when it finds you?"

I smirk at her. "I will slice it and dice it and serve it to you on a hot platter."

She scowls at me and goes back to reading her book on runes. "By the way, you are teaching us that spell you used to send the message."

I smile at her. Good old Hermione.

A few of our friends and classmates stopped by. Seamus was little sad that it wasn't Ireland, in the final, but was happy at least England and not those barbarians won the cup.

As we are nearing the time of arrival, who should open the compartment door, other than my favorite cousin, Draco Malfoy. Before he can utter a word, I pounce on him.

"Hey Draco. How is my favorite cousin doing?"

He scowls at me as if lost my mind. "What are you on about, Potter?"

"What, you didn't know? My grandfather Charles married Dorea Black, your mother's aunt. That makes us cousins. So how is my favorite cousin doing today? Did you enjoy the world cup?"

His face attains a nice shade of pink. "You are no cousin of mine, Potter. You are nothing but a blood traitor." He spats at me.

"Blood traitor I may be, but that doesn't make me any less of a cousin, cousin."

He points his wand at me. I swipe my wand lazily disarming him. "Be careful cousin. Didn't your mom teach you not to play with wands?"

Crabbe and Goyle take a step toward me. I swipe my wand again freezing them in place.

"Give me back my wand, Potter."

I throw it back to him. "Fine, but play nice. It's no way to treat family is it?"

His scowl darkens and then changes to a smirk and he turns to Ron. "So… Going to enter Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory… to the family? There's money involved as well… maybe you can afford new clothes."

Then, he looks at Ron's and Ginny's clothes more closely. "That said, your clothes are not half bad now. What did you do? Sell your house?"

Ron's face reddens in anger. As he gets up to curse Draco, I put an arm to stop him. "Now, Ron… We are all a big happy family here. Even your family is related to the Blacks. Remember Sirius showed us the family tree."

Ron scowls but sits down sullenly.

Seeing that Ron is not reacting as he expected he faces me. "What about you Potter? Going to enter? The world cup is over now, you will need something else to show off."

"What are you on about, Malfoy?"

"Don't tell me you don't know?" he says delightedly. "My father…"

I turn him off as I look into his eyes. I probe his mind gently to see a negligible shield. I scan his surface thoughts and ahh… I see. I come out of his mind and interrupt his tirade.

"Oh, you are talking about the Tri Wizard Tournament?"

"So you know. Going to enter then?"

I shrug. "What about you cousin? I won the worldcup. I am the boy-who-lived. I already have enough fame. What about you?"

That gets a familiar scowl on his face. "I am a Malfoy, Potter. I don't need fame."

With that he turns around walks away with his goons, who I unfroze, slamming the door on the way.

Ron rounds up on me. "What's all that cousin business?"

I smile at Ron. "It's the truth Ron. You, me and Draco are all cousins through the Black family. Not first or second, I give you that. Very distant. But still family. In fact if we look further, I am sure we will find more than a few marriages in between the families."

He splutters in shock. "But… but…"

I continue. "And, do you really think Draco will like the fact that we are cousins? He practically loathes us. It's about the nicest way we can go about irritating him."

Hermione has a smile on her face. "Brilliant."

Ron thinks about it and laughs. "Draco, our dear cousin…"

Ginny laughs with me. Luna has her ever-present dreamy smile about her. Neville though scowls in thought.

"What's got you thinking Nev?"

"Nothing Harry. Longbottoms have a distant relation to the Potters. That means we are related to the Blacks as well…"

I understand where he is going and give him a soft smile. "We cannot choose who we are related to Nev." I tell him sagely.

He nods and we stay silent for a few minutes after which, Hermione asks the question I was waiting for. "You said something about the Tri Wizard Tournament, Harry?"

I nod. "While Draco was ranting, I took a quick peak into his mind… You know scanning his surface thoughts with Legilimency."

Hermione interrupts me with a stern look on her face. "Harry, that's not the right thing to do."

I raise a hand to placate her. "I know and I don't use it lightly. But I was on the last straw with him…"

She scowls but remains silent.

"Anyway, so I found out that they are organizing the Tri Wizard tournament this year. I only have a vague idea. Hermione?"

She looks in thought. "It's a tournament of sorts arranged between the three European schools of magic. Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I think they select a wizard from each school to compete in a set of tasks… The format changes all the time. That's all I know. Are they really arranging the tournament this year, Harry?"

I shrug. "I know as much you know at this point."

All my finds have thoughtful looks on their faces and I can only guess what's going on in their minds.

We finally reach the Hogsmead station and get out of the compartment. I wonder how the weather can change so fast. It was sunny not a few hours back and now it looks like we will have a thunderstorm any minute.

The rain's coming down thick and fast now. Hermione bundles up Crookshanks, her half Kneazle, and we race toward the horseless carriages. Ron bought a new Owl, Athena, will be flying to Hogwarts tomorrow with Hedwig. We greet Hagrid on the way and we are off to another year at Hogwarts and the many surprises it might bring.

AN: And that's the end of chapter 12. I got the idea of a slider from one of better stories I read on this site, "Harry Potter and the Hero's Path" by TheJackOfDiamonds. Next: The Tri Wizard tournament announcement and the changes it brings to Hogwarts.


	13. Chapter 13

**My life - An adventure**

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter works belong to J.K. Rowling.

AN: This story is an idea I got from "Harry Potter and the Memories of Old" by Snowy123. Some of spells are from the story "Harry Potter and the Unlocked Knowledge" by kmfrank.

**Chapter 13**

We got into the great hall-soaking wet, but relatively unharmed, though Minerva had a tizz with Peeves. I applied a quick drying and warming charms to myself. The others followed my example.

We sat down at the table, when a breathless voice called down from the table.

"Hiya, Harry."

I turn around to see Colin Creevy leaning forward. I give him a smile.

"Hey Colin. Had a good summer?"

"Yeah, thanks Harry. Guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!"

Ahh… Another Creevy. I nod to him with a smile.

"We saw your match at the worldcup, Harry. Great show! Dennis is very excited to meet you. I hope he's in Gryffindor."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed, shall I?"

He nods and again thanks me. And 20 minutes later, Gryffindor indeed had another Creevy. Colin graciously introduced his brother, and my friends and I welcomed him to Gryffindor.

The feast as always was wonderful. Dobby is again joining me at Hogwarts and a much more acceptable Kreacher is taking care of Grimmauld place.

When the last crumbs were cleared of the plates, Albus rises to his feet. With thunder rolling and the occasional lightning flashing across the sky, he looks down at everyone with a smile. "So! Another year. Now that we are all fed and watered, I must ask for your attention, while I give out few notices. But before that, lets give a round of applause to Harry Potter for a fabulous game of Quidditch and for winning the world cup for England."

The whole school rose to their feet clapping and stamping their feet. My cheeks redden in slight embarrassment. I wave to them in acknowledgement. Albus raises his hands quieting the crowd.

"I am also pleased to announce the donation of 70 brand new Nimbus 2004's by the Nimbus Racing Broom Company."

Of course, I had to agree to have my picture taken with the owner while carrying a firebolt, which incidentally is manufactured by the same company.

The hall stares at him astounded for a second before the students cheer their heart out. No more old depleted brooms. All the Quidditch matches will be on even footing from now on.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever- Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

The corners of Albus' mouth twitched. He continued, "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year."

"I would like to ask all of you in welcoming our new defense against the dark arts professor, Alastor Moody." Here Alastor gets to his feet, nods and sits right back down. The hall is buzzing at the news of having such a renowned dark wizard catcher as a professor.

Albus continues. "It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

This stuns the hall to complete silence. Albus continues through the silence. "This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year Hogwarts has the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for many centuries. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" says Fred loudly. Of course he has no idea of the tournament, as he wasn't in the same compartment as my friends and I.

Albus chuckles appreciatively. "I am not joking, Mr. Weasley, though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly.

"Er - but maybe this is not the time… no…" said Dumbledore, "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament… well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely."

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities - until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"Death Toll?" whispers Hermione in alarm. I shrug at her and continue to listen to Albus.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, the champions will be more prepared for the tasks."

Here he stops and takes a sip from his glass. "Though because of the recent tragic events, there has been pressure brought on the ministry to change the location of the Tournament from Hogwarts to one of the other two schools. But we have reached a compromise. Traditionally the school hosting the tournament will get to choose the three tasks. But this year, instead of three tasks there will be seven tasks, six of which will be chosen by Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The final task will be chosen by Hogwarts."

Seven. A magical number.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with the entire student and teaching body in October. We will be opening additional wings within the castle for the visiting staff and students to stay. The selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a three thousand Galleons personal prize money, and the many prizes one can win at the end of each task."

This gets the student body buzzing. I can see a lot of people interested in being part of the tournament.

Albus clears his voice and the hall goes silent. "Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, there will be certain restrictions. We, that is, the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have initially discussed the option of imposing an age restriction on contenders this year, but decided against that. Every school will conduct a series of tests to select a variety of students who are qualified to participate in the tournament. Only these students will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will be difficult and dangerous, and it is highly unlikely that students who cannot cope with these tests will be able to cope with the actual tasks."

He continues. "More information about the tests will be posted on the notice boards in the next few weeks. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us until end of the tournament. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

And with that the whole school gets to its feet and head for the common rooms. I follow my friends as we leisurely stroll toward the Gryffindor common room. I listen to the different conversations happening all around me. All of them to do with the tournament and what kind of tests will be involved.

Ron, Neville and I bid good night to the rest and climbed up the stairs to our dormitory. Dean and Seamus are already in their beds. As we are getting dressed, Ron glances at me.

"So… Are you going to take the tests?"

I shrug. "Not too sure…" I mumble sleepily. "Maybe."

"Yeah… I want to try them out." Then, he mumbles something about Malfoy and how he is going to show him.

I lie on my bed listening to the storm raging outside. Would I like to be part of the tournament? Yeah… Not for the money and fame. I already have both in spades. But the adventure… To face the unknown with danger and excitement? Hell yeah!

The first three days of school flew by fast what with collecting pus from bubotuber and tending a Hagrid's new monsters, Blast-Ended Skrewts. Ron complains about getting too much homework in Divinition, while Hermione says that he should have taken something sensible like Arithmancy.

Snape is his usual vindictive self against the Gryffindors. But he completely ignores me. I expected some reaction from him regarding what happened in the summer, but his latest actions have taken me by surprise.

A few students comment about my lack of glasses and I simply tell them I got my eyes corrected. A few girls bat their eyes at me. I don't pay them any attention. I arrange with Filius and Minerva to meet with them on Saturday for the extra tutoring. They both agree not to give me any homework going forward.

Still, the topic of conversation has been between two things, the Triwizard Tournament and Alastor Mad-Eye Moody. All the students who had a class with Alastor are singing his praises. But when asked what he taught all they said that Alastor asked them to be quite about it.

The fourth year Gryffindors were so anxious for the DADA class that they arrived early after lunch on Thursday. Even Ron, Hermione and Neville who spent 3 weeks of their summer with Alastor, are a tad bit anxious on what he is going to teach us.

"What do you think he's going to teach us? The same stuff from summer?" whispers Ron in my ear. I shrug and the four of us took the seats right at the front, when Alastor walked in gruffly looking as strange and frightening as ever.

"Put those books away. You won't be needing them." Growls Alastor. He stumped to the desk and took attendance while his magical eye looked at each one of us as our name is called.

When the last person had declared himself present, he puts away the register and looks up at the lot of us. "I talked to Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures - you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?"

There was a general murmur of assent.

"But you're behind - very behind - on dealing with curses," says Alastor. "So I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark curses."

He gives a harsh laugh, and then claps his gnarled hands together.

"Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with it till then. But Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."

Lavender jumps and blushes.

Alastor continues. "So… do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

I look around to see several hands rise tentatively into the air. And from there he shows us the 3 unforgivable curses on 3 different spiders.

"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it - you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it."

I do know how to do it. I have seen it many number of times.

After class, which has shaken quite a few of my fellow students, we left to the common room. I glance at Neville to see him shaken up. "You all right, Nev?"

He gives me sad smile and nods. "Yeah, no problem Harry. No problem."

I nod. I can guess what's on his mind. It's not hard really, if you know the story of the Longbottom family. I put a hand on his shoulder.

That Saturday, I meet with Minerva for the first time for my tutoring.

"Tell me, Potter, what do you know of permanent transfiguration?"

"I know it requires a lot of power. The more complex the transfiguration, the more power it needs."

"Correct. Inanimate to inanimate requires the least power followed by animate to inanimate and finally animate to animate. But there are exceptions and consequences. When you permanently transfigure an animal or a bird to an object, you are in effect killing the soul within. To this effect, there are oaths an apprentice must give to a master before he learns the more complex arts within transfiguration and conjuration."

Voldemort never bothered to attain mastery in transfiguration. "What oaths?"

"That you shall never permanently transfigure a living being into a non living being. That you will not use the knowledge gained for increasing personal wealth other than in the direst of situations, with the exception when the knowledge is used as part of a larger enchantment. That you will keep the knowledge of these arts to yourself, until you find someone capable enough to pass on the knowledge. That you will not teach them to anyone, until you attain your mastery and unless that someone gives you the same oaths as you give today."

"I have no problems professor." I flick my wrist bringing my wand into my hand and swear the oaths.

Minerva smiles at me. "Thank you Harry. In the next two years I will teach you two things, to transfigure any object to Gold and to conjure food."

I raise my eyebrows at her. "Did I hear you right professor?"

She smirks at me. "You didn't think what you learn at Hogwarts is the limit to Transfiguration did you? If you have enough power and will, Potter, you can transfigure the moon into a sun. Do you know who the first renowned transfiguration master is?"

I shake my head no.

"Nicholas Flamel. Yes, the same Flamel who made the sorcerer's stone. He passed down his knowledge to a select few people over his long life, one of which is our Headmaster. He took me on as an apprentice a few years after I graduated from Hogwarts. It's been over fifty years and now for the first time, I will pass this knowledge to someone else."

I absorb what she told me and I must say I am humbled.

"When you transfigure one object to another, you are just remorphing it. You don't need more than a clear picture of what you want to complete the transfiguration. But in permanent transfiguration, you need more than a clear picture. You need to know the structure of the object at the atomic level."

She points her wand at a quill and concentrates. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the quill changes shape and attains a distinct shiny look to it. Then its shape changes to that of a think cylinder. And finally after 3 minutes of pouring magic into it, she transfigured the quill into a thin golden cylinder.

She exhales in relief and smiles. "I haven't done that in many years." She takes a drink of water while I observe the precious metal. It shines like a newly smelted piece of solid gold.

"The same goes for food. You start with the simplest of things and then transfigure the object at the atomic level into the different components that food item should have. With food, always try to choose a base material like wood, which is already organic. It will require much less power to break it down atomically."

I feel the gold in my hands. "So in effect, once I learn how to and if I have enough power, I can conjure any food or pieces of gold."

She nods. "You can. But I must warn you, even the headmaster finds it hard to conjure gold."

"So how does one know what gold or any item looks at the atomic level? And for that matter, why start with gold?"

"I can teach you a spell which will show what any object, animate or inanimate looks at the atomic level. As for why start with Gold, it is the most complex of elements and one of the most precious. If you can transfigure it successfully, you can do so for any object. Do you understand the reasons for the oaths now?"

I nod. "If I were to transfigure galleons out of stone, then there will be more galleons than there should be and the economy will collapse. And if everyone was to conjure their own food, then there won't be any need for growing food, which will effect the balance within nature and also the farmers."

A look of surprise crosses Minerva's face and then she smiles broadly. "I am glad you understand the implications."

She shows me the spell, which will enable me to see the atomic structure of any substance and explains the process of changing the structure. You first start with changing the structure of one atom by adding or vanishing more protons and neutrons, and then replicate the effort to that of other atoms in the molecule, then change the other molecules. I will need to improve the control I have on my magic to a much greater extent.

Minerva asks me to memorize the atomic structure of gold. With occlumency it's a child's play. After she is confident enough, she gives me a shiny steel needle and asks me to practice on it.

I apply the spell to see the atomic structure of the needle, which is vastly different to that of gold. Now, I try to pass my magic into the needle and connect it with just one atom. By lunch, I haven't even managed to connect with a molecule, forget an atom or the protons and neutrons in it.

"It will take much more control before you can do that, Potter." She gave me a couple of exercises to work on. One is to conjure a block of ice and then work on chipping just a small piece of it. The other is conjuring the smallest matter I can imagine. The first to improve my control the second to get my mind used to thinking at the smallest level possible.

After lunch I walk to Filius' room and knock on the door. "Come in, Mr. Potter."

"Hello professor. By the way, if you feel like it, please call me Harry."

The diminutive professor smiles. "Thank you, Harry. Now before we start, have you been in a duel before?"

I smirk at him. "Do you have a pensieve?"

"Indeed I do." He brings it out and I pull the memory of my most recent duel with Alastor and put into it.

"Go ahead professor. Take a look."

He leans forward touching his finger to the silver liquid. After nearly an hour, he comes out of it looking dazed. "My boy, that was a most extraordinary duel I have witnessed for a 14 year old. Why aren't you in Ravenclaw, Harry?"

I smirk. "The hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, but I convinced it to put me in Gryffindor."

He smirks back. "Ahh, yes. The boy-who-lived in Slytherin, that would have created some ruckus."

He taps his table in thought. "I see you went through the standard dodging exercises. That is good. It makes you unpredictable. But if I might say so, you do lack form. If you can develop different forms, it can only be to your advantage. Think of it as a dance, which you have practiced for many hours. When you need it, it will come to you instinctively. It is the same with dueling forms. The more instinctive it is, the less you need to think about it, the more time you can concentrate on sending the curses back at your opponent. Further more if you ever come across an opponent who uses similar forms, you will know what to expect and will be able to counter easily."

I am not too sure I need it. But, what the hell. I will take every single advantage I can get over Voldemort.

"Alright professor, where do we start?"

The next 3 hours before dinner, I spend practicing a single form, while Filius shoots stinging hexes at me. I had to curb the instinct to draw my wand or to duck and follow a prescribed route of twirling away from the hex and sometimes instead of moving the whole body, just moving a single part of it, like my left leg, when the hex is shot at it.

A little tired I take a quick bath and follow my friends to dinner. After that I spent a couple of hours before curfew with Alastor outside the castle under notice-me-nots. He taught a couple of new curses. One is a shock wave, which will throw people of their feet and the other a curse whip. It's basically a curse controlled in the form of a whip. Generally used with a stunner and a bludgeoner. Needs great control to pull it off. After a few tries I got partial success with a stun whip.

The next day I visit the founders' portraits and discuss my various projects with them. I projected my dual with Alastor from the pensieve and Lord Gryffindor was pretty impressed with it. He gives me an idea to improve my wandless magic, which is quite strong, what with keeping my magic at the surface all the time. I promise him that I will practice more and will let him know the results. I explain my rune project to Lady Rowena and show her my notes so far. She corrects a couple of mistakes in the arithmancy, but is impressed with the project. I show lady Helga the few spells I know within nature magic. She likes what she sees but stresses on one aspect.

"Nature is deadly and wild, Harry. If you don't respect it, it will turn on you and destroy you. Such is the same for magic."

But the most important meeting of the day was with Lord Salazar, the result of which has me standing naked in the chamber of secrets. Today I am going to perform the Animagus release ritual. Today my animal side awakens. I am thrilled and excited.

I glance to my right to see Ginny floating on a broom with her eyes closed. I can see a blush on her cheeks. She was surprised when I asked her to be here as I wanted someone I can trust and know enough to bring me back from my animal side. She readily agrees with the condition that I teach her wandless magic. I have nothing against that. She went all red when I tell her that I have to be naked.

I get my mind back on track, as this is the tricky part of the ritual. I draw runes using my wand on both my feet, on the backside of my palms, one on the forehead and finally one at the center of my being, the stomach. The four runes on the limbs will connect my body, with the one on the forehead connecting my mind and finally the one on the stomach connecting the soul.

I lie down on the floor and remove every mental shield I have, even the deepest ones. This is the part Salazar warned me about. If I don't remove the mind shields, the magic will attack the mind in turn destroying it. The first transformation is always the most difficult. It brings out the animal side for the first time and slowly over a period of time; the animal side will mix with the human side. After that I won't be quite human or animal, but somewhere in between.

I see Ginny looking down on me curiously. I wink at her with a cheeky smile. Then, as the final step, I completely release my magic. I can feel the runes activating as the magic passes through them. I feel my consciousness slipping as my soul is united with my body, mind and magic for the first time.

A primal scream rips through my mouth as I feel pain beyond anything I ever experienced. I feel the magic shifting and the body changing. I feel my mind shattering. Every thought… Every memory… So distant…

Another scream rips through my mouth… But it's different. It's not one of pain, but of freedom. I raise my head and scream again… Thirsty… Water… I walk up to the water nearby and lap it up. Then, I catch a sent and look up. Prey… Flying prey… I follow her with my eyes for a moment, before I race after it, climb up a wall and jump of it. I miss prey… Prey is higher… I land back on my feet… I scream in frustration.

Prey comes down. I hear a distant voice calling… "Harry… Harry…"

Harry… I know that name. I look back up at the prey… The face is clearer. I know that face. "Harry… Remember who you are… Remember Harry…"

Remember what? Harry… Harry… And just like that I know who I am. I am Harry James Potter. I roar in triumph. I run around the chamber testing out my legs. I am fast. I am agile. I feel powerful. I like it. I catch the scent again and skid to a stop on the marble surface.

I look up to see prey… Ginny… circling on a broom. I roar at her again. I walk toward nearby water while keeping an eye on her... I lie in the water while staring up at her.

I again hear her calling "Harry…" and respond with a roar of my own.

"Change back, Harry… You need to change back…"

I snarl at her. "HARRY JAMES POTTER! Remember who you are. You are an animagus. You are a wizard."

And my mind kicks in and I lose my form changing back into a 14-year-old naked wizard. I lie on the floor panting. That was an incredible experience. I wonder what kind of animal I am. I can't really remember what I did at first. I felt powerful, graceful and fast.

Ginny lands nearby and conjures a blanket for me as I lie in the water surrounding the chamber. I smile at her cheekily. "Enjoyed the show, Ginny."

She scowls at me, even though her cheeks reddened a little. "I should kick your butt. You nearly got me."

I look concerned. "Err… Are you hurt?"

"I said, nearly Harry. I am fine."

I nod back in relief… The one thing I didn't like about the process was loosing control of my mind. "So, what am I?"

"A very large pig."

I smirk back. "I doubt that. Come on Ginny, where's the Omniocular I gave you?"

She pouts. "Fine, be like that." She takes out the Omni and hands it over to me. "You are a large black cat, I don't know what kind."

I look into the omni and I see what she means. I am indeed a large cat. Around 3 feet high at the shoulders, around 5 feet long and I would say around 250 pounds in weight. I have my mother's eyes even in my animagus form and I like it. I don't like the messed up fur I have on top of my head though. I guess some physical characteristics will carry over. On one of the few occasions I was allowed to watch the TV, I saw a show on large cats. And one particular animal struck me as unique. A Black Panther. Known in other parts of the world as the Jaguar. "The beast that kills it's prey in one bound". A predator, that's what I am. I love it.

I give Ginny a quick hug. "Thanks for doing this, Gin."

"Not a problem Harry. After all, you are going to help me become one."

"Ahh… So you want me to see you naked, eh?"

"HARRY…" She scowls at me.

I laugh at her. "All kidding aside, yes Gin, I will help you become one. You can use the modern method, but it doesn't bring the true unity between human and animal. This method has far more advantages. Your occlumency skills are great, so that will also help you learn wandless magic."

I put on my clothes and we go back into the castle main.

The next couple of weeks race by quickly. After the first transformation, I find it difficult to control my magic. This was expected as my occlumency shields have been in a way destroyed and a part of my soul magic is mixed in with my body and mind magics, increasing my overall available power. That's right. That is one of the reasons why Animagus are more powerful than a non-animagus. Even those who did it the modern way.

It took me a while to build back my occlumency shields to the extent they were before. Especially because of the large amount of time I spent in my Jaguar form. At least four hours every night I went into the forbidden forest and hunted. I came across a couple of Centaurs, but they let me be. I didn't kill any animal. Except for that part, I allowed my animal instincts to take over completely.

Like my animal form has a couple of my human characteristics, my human form developed a few of my animal characteristics over these two weeks. My walk is more graceful and light. My movements are more fluid when I am dueling and if I do say so myself I feel hell a lot more primal. Of course I am part Jaguar now, so it is natural.

Filius did comment on my improved form, though Minerva was clearly disappointed as I took a step back by having less control over my magic than I started with. I promised her that I would spend more time learning to control it. I simply do not want to melt the next pin I release my magic into or nearly kill Alastor when we have another duel.

It's been three weeks since the school started and today there's a notice about the upcoming tests. These tests or challenges will test the students in different fields of magic, including dueling, transfiguration, charms, runes, creatures, potions, and plants. The 5 top students from each of these tests will be allowed to put their names in. At the end, a maximum of 35 people will contend for 1 spot, which an unbiased judge, the goblet of fire will pick.

The tests will be conducted from the following weekend. 2 tests every weekend, and the final 35 people announced on the 20th of October. The two schools will arrive on the night of the 30th and on Halloween, the Goblet of Fire will pick the three champions.

The notice also said there will be an interschool Quidditch tournament for which the team will be selected in the next few weeks by Madame Hooch.

That night at dinner, I get a note from Albus asking me to come to his office.

As I approach his door, as usual, I hear him asking me to enter. "Come in, Harry."

I greet him with a smile. "Hey Albus."

I walk to Fawkes and scratch him eliciting a trill. "Hey Fawkes."

After a few moments of silence, "So Albus, anything new on Voldemort?"

"We are gathering allies for now, Harry." He pauses in thought. "Severus did say that the mark is getting darker."

I nod. "It's inevitable Albus. He will come back one-way or the other. There are too many ways available, for him not to." I continue to play with Fawkes. I really like this bird. "Sirius said there is no news about the wandering merchant…"

"Indeed there is not."

"And of Gringotts?"

He sighs and rubs his crooked nose. "That's a different matter all together. We shall deal with it in due time." Then, he looks keenly at me and smiles. "I see that you have acquired a new talent, Harry?"

I roll my eyes at him and then laugh out loud. "Nothing happens, that you don't know about, does it Albus?"

"You give me too much credit, dear boy. Can I see your form?"

I change into my Jaguar form and give out a mighty roar before I change back. Albus looks practically tickled.

"Ahh… another cat. Marvelous. Which method did you follow?"

"Ritual of release."

He nods. "Excellent method, though not without its drawbacks."

I agree. "I am working on it."

"Good, good."

He strokes his beard in thought. "Might I suggest you register your form with the ICW. It's a much safer proposition than our current ministry."

"Do I need to send the paperwork now?"

"If you can give me the paperwork before the Christmas vacation, I will deliver it myself when I go to our annual meeting."

"Sounds good. That's it?"

"Ahh… My boy, we haven't yet covered the real purpose of the meeting."

"Alright Albus, what's on your mind?"

"The tournament Harry, the tournament. Are you going to take part in the tests?"

I sigh in frustration. "I really like to Albus. I am sorely tempted, if for nothing else, the thrill of adventure."

"But…" He prompts me.

"All modesty aside, let's be honest Albus. If I put my name in, more likely than not, I will win the cup fairly easily. I think it will be unfair to the rest of the students in all three schools."

He smiles at me kindly. "Thank you, Harry, for once again proving my faith in you."

I smile cheekily at him and bow to him in a flourish. "I aim to please."

The next weekend is the school wide dueling tournament. From 4th year Gryffindors Ron is the only person who gave his name. Quite a few people are surprised by my decision not to compete in the tournament.

I walk into the great hall on the day of the dueling test with the rest of the school and sit in the audience section. The rules of the test are simple. You cannot permanently harm your opponent. No unforgivables. The last person standing wins. Or at the end of 5 minutes, if both opponents are standing, who ever gets the most hits wins.

The final list of participants had 1 third year raven, 1 fourth year gryffin, 2 fourth year ravens and 1 fourth year Slytherin (Malfoy), 7 from the fifth year, 11 from sixth year and the largest group 17 from seventh year. A lot less than I thought would throw their name in the hat as the saying goes. I guess the history of the tournament has discouraged many from wanting to enter. That's one of Albus' better ideas, to have the different tasks and the results "deaths", of the past tournaments available to the school.

Draco smirked at me as he got on the stage against a 6th year puff. "Scared Potter?"

I roll my eyes at him. I have seen him in 2 duels so far and for a 4th year, he is not bad. But then, I am at a different level than any of them. At the end, it was Cedric Diggory a 7th year puff won the test, followed by Roger Davis a 6th year claw, Nina Roberts a 6th year snake, Ron and finally Draco.

Ron predictably is very excited about being one of the 35 names. I pull him aside and whisper to him.

"You know Ron, the more tests you compete and come up in the top five, the better chances you will have of being chosen as the champion." He scrunches up his nose and nods.

I throw myself into work over the next month. I spend a lot of time in my animal form including one whole day. I can say quite frankly eating raw meet is not one of my favorite things to do. I also spend a significant amount of time gaining control over my magic. I lock myself in the ROR and spend time shooting spells with different power levels. I also work on the exercises Minerva gave me. It took a huge effort on my part, but at the end I managed to gain the same level of control as I had before I became part animal.

I continue to have duels with Alastor and win most of them. The ex-Auror, though slowed down by age, has a trick or two up his sleeve. I master the stun whip and am on my way to master the bludgeoner whip. I work with him on creating a Confringo slider. It is taking time, but I am making progress.

My classes with Minerva and Filius are going fine. Filius is surprised and excited with the quick progress I am making in mastering the different forms. I put it down to my Animagus form. Minerva is happy with the amount of work I put in to gain my control back, though I am nowhere near connecting my magic at the atomic level.

In the other free time I have, I work on my rune scheme. That's the advantage I have of not having any homework except in Herbology and Potions. It is not hard to convince the different professors. In Runes and Arithmancy, I tell the professors I will submit an end of year project to make up for my homework. In Astronomy I take the end of the year test and get an outstanding in it. This convinced the beautiful Sinistra that I don't need to do any homework. I still have to attend the classes though. That's fine with me. I can simply spend the time staring at her impressive figure. Hagrid, being the dear friend he is, agrees to the no homework policy with the condition that I help take care of some of his animals. And for History, Albus gives me a note for Binns. I am not that great at Herbology and there is no way in hell Snape will ever give me a waiver.

Over these few weeks many people compete in the other 6 tests, including Hermione. She's been acting somewhat distant with me and spends a lot of time in the library. When I ask her about it, she simply says she is falling behind. I think she is a tad upset about losing the top spot.

At the end, it was 26 names, which are agreed upon. Hermione is one of the top 5 people in both Transfiguration and Charms. Ron only made it in dueling. This in itself made him quite popular among the students. Minerva was also quite pleased with his transfiguration skills.

Overall Cedric is the best. He made it in 6 of the 7 tasks only losing out in Herbology to the consternation of his head of house that happens to be the Herbology professor.

Madame Hooch wants me to be part of the school Quidditch team and I tell her that I will do so only if Krum competes for Durmstrang. So at the end, it's between myself, Cedric or Ginny. If Cedric becomes the champion, he can't compete in the Quidditch match. Draco tried out, but lost miserably to Ginny. Like Ron, he only made it in dueling. And surprise, surprise, the twins made it in potions much to Snape's everlasting delight. He he he. I still laugh whenever I remember his face.

Today is the 30th of October. The day when the two schools will arrive. Over the last few weeks the Quidditch stadium is converted to have seating for over 10,000 people. That's 10 times the size it used to be. The great hall is also expanded to seat the other 2 schools.

The school is buzzing with anticipation. My friends, and I walk out to the courtyard to see the guests arrive. It's a cold, clear evening; dusk is falling and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest. A perfect setting. Something magical.

"How do you reckon they're coming?" asks Ron.

"Ships." I answer pointing to the churning black lake where black masts are rising from beneath the lake. 5 ships appear in total and I see a few people dressed in fur-lined clothes. "Durmstrang."

"How do you know?" asks Hermione with a scowl.

"They are wearing fur lined clothes. They are clearly from a colder climate than France."

The students begin to disembark. "Hmmm… I wonder how that works?" I voice to no one in particular.

"Must be a portal, like on platform 9 and ¾."

I glance at Hermione in surprise and nod. "You might have something there Hermione."

"Do you think Krum will show up?" asks Ron.

I smirk at him. "You know you are standing beside a world famous Quidditch star."

Ron punches me on the arm with a smile. "Come of it, Harry… You know you are just… Harry to us mate. Not Viktor Bloody Krum."

"Language Ron!" Admonishes Hermione, while staring keenly toward the ships.

Yeah. I am just Harry. "Well he is a student last I heard. So unless he dropped out, we will see him."

Suddenly someone shouts pointing to the sky. I peer into the sky and again marvel at my new eyesight. I see a dozen carriages being pulled by winged horses, Pegasus to be precise.

The carriages land one by one by the time the Durmstrang population arrives at the courtyard being led by a familiar face. Why if it isn't dear old Igor Karkaroff. He hasn't changed much other than getting old since he last served Voldemort.

"Dumbledore!" he calls heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Albus replies.

"Dear old Hogwarts," he says, looking up at the castle with a smile that doesn't reach his cold eyes. The smile itself is quite a revolting sight considering his yellowed teeth. "How good it is to be here, how good… Viktor, come along, into the warmth… you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold…"

That's when I see my Quidditch Rival, Viktor Krum. His eyes wander around as he steps toward his headmaster. He spots me and nods. I return the favor. Ron stands on tiptoe to get a better look at him.

The Durmstrang students, which I would say amount to around 200 odd enter the castle being led by Snape, who is having a conversation with Igor. Must be catching up on old times. The student body is a mixture of boys and girls, with most of the boys looking more like Gorillas.

I turn around to get a peek at the Beauxbatons when the carriages' doors open and out steps the largest woman I ever saw. I would say she has giant blood in her like Hagrid.

The students dressed in silk clothes and wearing no cloaks, follow the large woman who is clearly the headmistress of the school. They clearly have the largest student population of the three schools nearly double that of Durmstrang.

The giant woman reaches Albus with an easy smile on her face. She extends her hand to Albus who kisses it.

"My dear Madame Maxime, welcome to Hogwarts." Says Albus.

"Dumbly-dort, I 'ope I find you well?" says Madame Maxime in a deep voice.

"In excellent form, I thank you," says Dumbledore.

"My pupils," says Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her. "'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" asks Madame Maxime.

"He is inside, shall we proceed?"

"My steeds require - er - forceful 'andling," says Madame Maxime. "Do you have someone woo can 'elp our grounds keeper?"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to help, moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other - er - charges."

Albus leads the Beauxbatons contingent with Madame Maxime into the great hall. As the students follow them, one particular girl catches my eye. She is a strikingly beautiful blonde and as she crosses me, her aura touches my magic trying to overwhelm it. She's got to be a Veela or at least have Veela blood in her.

I push back on her aura by releasing more of my own magic. She slows down, confused and looks back catching my eye. She looks surprised at seeing a 14-year-old boy. But the crowd behind her urges her to move on and she follows them inside.

"Blimey, did you look at her?"

I don't respond to Ron's comment. But Hermione does a little haughtily. "What about her?"

"She's got to be a Veela."

Hermione scorns at that. "No she's not."

I interrupt Ron's reply. "Yes, Hermione. She is. Or at least has Veela blood in her."

She rounds up on me. "How do you know?"

I raise my eyebrows at her attitude. "Because I felt her Aura."

I don't wait for her to answer and follow the Hogwarts' crowd inside. Though I must say she is quite attractive. Since the beginning of the school year, a few girls flirted with me. But I am not really interested in a giggling schoolgirl. I want someone who can handle herself and is mature enough to know what is important.

The enlarged great hall has 9 new tables to them along with a large extended staff table. In order to better facilitate mingling between the 3 school's students, there are no house tables anymore. But most Hogwarts' students sit at their regular tables while the visitors sit among themselves at the new tables spread between the three houses. It's quite a sight to see over 1,000 people sitting in the great hall. The Durmstrang students seem impressed by the setting, while the Beauxbatons students are clearly not.

Ron is preoccupied staring at Krum and nearly misses Albus' opening remarks.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and - most particularly – guests," says Albus beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

A couple of Beauxbatons girls laugh derisively at the comment setting Hermione and a few other Gryffindor girls off.

Albus continues, paying no mind to the offensive laughs, though Madame Maxime did give the offending students a hard stare. "The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

The feast is stupendous. The house elves made variety of foods to accommodate the visitors. I recognize some of the eastern European and French cuisines.

"What is he doing here?" I glance at Ron to see him looking at the staff table. I follow his line of sight to see Ludo Bagman, Percy Weasley and another man with glasses sitting at the staff table.

"They helped arrange the tournament, Ron. And wasn't Percy Crouch's assistant? I bet he's helping Mr. Diggory in his new role as the head of The Department of International Cooperation." Replies Hermione.

"So that's Cedric's dad?" I ask for clarification.

"Yeah, we met him on the way to the world cup."

Once the food was cleared out, Albus stood up. "The moment has come. The

Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Amos Diggory, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

Both acknowledge their introductions and Albus continues. "Mr. Bagman and Mr. Diggory will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

Hmmm… I wonder if that will stay true if Cedric gets selected.

"There will be seven tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

Feeling the students' anticipation, Albus smiles and directs Filch. "The casket Mr. Filch."

Filch, who's lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, approaches Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looks extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rises from the watching students.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Albus continues calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks. The champion with the highest total will get a head start in the final task and whoever wins it will be named the Triwizard champion and will win the Triwizard Cup. And as specified earlier, the champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Here Albus taps his wand against the casket opening it. He reaches in and pulls out an old wooden cup, with dancing blue flames.

He closes the casket and places the goblet on top of it. He gazes around the student body. "Each school conducted a series of tests over the last few months and picked a number of students who are qualified to participate in the tournament. These students will be allowed to put their names into the goblet of fire and they have twenty-four hours to do so. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete."

"In order to prevent non-qualified students from entering their name, I will personally draw a ward line. Each qualified student will be provided with an enchanted parchment, keyed to him or her. Only students holding this paper will be allowed to cross the ward. Once across the ward, students must write their names and the school they represent on a piece of parchment and throw it into the goblet."

I really doubt anyone who hasn't participated in the tests will put their name into the goblet. Not after reading about the wide variety of deaths that happened in the past tournaments.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once the Goblet of Fire has selected a champion, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."

All the students get up to leave the great hall at once causing quite the thunderous sound.

"Where do you think the Durmstrang students are sleeping?" Asks Ron.

I smirk at him. "Why, want to join Krum in his bed?"

Ron pales at that and shoots a rude sign at me.

Ron turns to Hermione. "When do you think we should put our names in?"

"The headmaster said twenty four hours. I think we should get a good nights rest and put them in tomorrow morning."

That night is a night of great anticipation in the Gryffindor common room. Minerva handed over the enchanted parchment to the selected students. Along with Ron & Hermione, 5 other Gryffindor's are submitting their names. Fred & George Weasley, Angelina Johnson and 3 other 7th years whose names I don't know. I wished each of them luck though I think it will end up being Cedric.

The next morning practically the entire school woke up bright and early. I join my friends as we enter the great hall, which is decorated for Halloween. Ron and Hermione joined the line of students who are crossing the ward line to put their names in the goblet. Most of them look anxious.

After that, we visit with Hagrid, where we learn that he has a crush on Madame Maxime. The Halloween feast was great. I know my parents died today, but I also know that they are happy and I raise a glass to them hoping they are watching me.

Once the golden plates are cleared of the food, Albus stands up and an immediate silence falls across the great hall. Madame Maxime and Igor look tense in anticipation. Ludo Bagman is winking at a few girls who seem to be stealing glances at him and giggling. Amos Diggory is smiling at his son and gives him a thumbs up.

Albus clears his throat. "The goblet is almost ready. Now when I call out the champions' name, pleas e I would ask them to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" - he indicates the door behind the staff table - "where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He takes out his wand and gives a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins are extinguished, plunging us into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shines more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the flames almost painful to my eyes. Everyone watches, waiting… A few people kept checking their watches… Including me.

"Any second," Lee Jordan whispers, two seats away from me.

The flames inside the goblet suddenly turn red and a tongue of flame shoots upwards throwing out a charred parchment. Albus catches it and reads as the whole hall waits in anticipation. "The champion of Durmstrang… Viktor Krum."

The hall bursts into applause cheering wildly. I join them. No surprises there and Ron agrees with me. Viktor gets up from the table and walks past the staff table into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Viktor!" booms Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping and chatting dies down and everyone's attention is focused again on the goblet, which, seconds later, turns red once more. A second piece of parchment shoots out of it, propelled by the flames.

Albus reads it out loud. "The champion for Beauxbatons… Fleur Delacour!"

Ahh… The beautiful blonde has a name. Fleur.

Quite a few of Beauxbatons students look disappointed and some even cry as Fleur disappears into the chamber. Now, the home school students wait in anticipation for their own champion.

Another parchment comes flying out of the goblet.

"The Hogwarts champion… Cedric Diggory!" The Huffelpuff table goes crazy. Ron bursts out with a disappointed "No!" Hermione looks disappointed as well, but she restrains from performing any theatrics.

I console Ron by patting him on his back. "Look at it this way, Ron. Now you don't need to worry about getting killed." It does little to console him, but he nods.

Cedric disappears into the chamber after a quick handshake from his beaming father.

After the applause dies down, Albus continues. ""Excellent! Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real…"

But Albus suddenly stops talking and it's clear what's distracting him. The flames within the goblet turn red again and tongue of flame shoots out for the fourth time that night.

I have a sinking feeling inside my stomach. Today is Halloween. In the past three years something always happened during Halloween that effected me. First year, the troll. Second year, the first attack by the Basilisk. Third year, Sirius attempted break-in into Gryffindor tower…

Albus catches hold of the fourth parchment and stares at it for the longest time. Then, his eyes scan the hall and find me. And my heart stopped.

He clears his throat and calls out. "Harry Potter."

* * *

AN: That's the end of the thirteenth chapter. Thanks for any reviews.


	14. Author's Note

Hi everyone,

I'm extremely sorry for the delay in updates.

This story is not dead. I promise you that.

I'll be updating this and the rest of my stories by mid April.

I was working on my own original fiction series. The first part was released yesterday on Amazon and its free today and tomorrow (02/07 & 02/08), check it out.

.com/Killer-For-Love-ebook/dp/B00762QYUK/

I have 3 short stories and 1 novella planned for release on Amazon before mid April, after which I will start work on fanfiction again.

Thanks again for your interest and patience.


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